“I’ve only logged 5,000 steps today” is a statement that would’ve seemed baffling 20 years ago, but is commonplace now.
Many folks wear fitness bands that register how far they walk, what kind of sleep they’re getting and calories they’re burning.
Some devices display a flower icon that grows when someone is active and shrinks when they’re lazy. It’s like when you were a kid watching TV and your mother yelled at you to play outside, except now technology does the nagging.
Perhaps it’s time for a tracking device for the soul, which would warn us when we sin — and reward us for good deeds.
Speeding on the interstate and endangering lives? Making promises to children and then breaking them? Spreading gossip? The device would buzz in protest.
For good deeds, it would display an angel with glowing wings, like when Susan lets the frazzled-looking lady get ahead of her in line or Paul volunteers at the local soup kitchen.
Truth be told, we don’t need this imaginary invention, because we have a built-in way of knowing right from wrong. Our conscience is the voice of God, a moral compass that prompts us toward the light and draws us away from darkness.
A child may lie about pilfering cookies from the jar, because she knows it’s wrong and she’s ashamed. A man having an affair will hide evidence from his wife for similar reasons.
Shame is certainly nothing new, since Adam and Eve hid from God in Eden, after they disobeyed him. Then Adam tried to pin the blame for their transgression on Eve, who pointed her finger at the serpent.
Some actions once considered shameful are gradually being “normalized” through TV and social media — such as adultery, premarital sex and pornography. The attempt to evade responsibility becomes “Everyone else is doing it, so it must be OK.”
But that excuse eventually falls flat, as any parent can attest. And although it’s tempting to try to hide wrongdoings from God, Jesus reminded us that “Nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light.”
We’re born with a tendency to sin, but with God’s grace, we can see our flaws and change ourselves. One helpful habit is examining our conscience each evening and asking what brought us closer to light — and what drew us into darkness.
Examining our conscience reveals the ways we’ve hurt others, and how we’ve helped them. Mother Teresa advised people to “do small things with great love,” which means even one kind word can brighten someone’s day — and just one sarcastic comment can cut like a knife.
Jesus warned us against building our houses on sand, which means relying on the shifting values of society. Instead, we can build our lives on bedrock, which is the unchanging law of God.
We don’t need a shrinking flower icon to alert us when we’ve wronged someone. We can rely instead on our conscience, which twinges when we break God’s commandments.
We might also ask ourselves: “Would I watch this movie, say these words or lie to my friend, if God were standing next to me?” Because, let’s face it — that’s exactly where he is.
Lorraine’s email address is lorrainevmurray@yahoo.com.
