Predictive Text
I am probably missing the point of the biblical text completely, but given all the recent media attention given to ChatGPT, I cannot help but compare and (significantly) contrast the Spirit’s role in the breath of life and the excitement over artificial intelligence.
The superficial comparison is that Ezekiel’s description of the old bones of the slain members of the house of Israel represents a history similar to the significant amount of text, research and data that is just lying out there on-line, on hard drives and in print. With the latter, the new and technologically amazing thing is that computer programs can generate new material, new reports, new essays by predicting what should be said now based on what has been said before. It’s not completely novel as it draws on previous and (for now) human-generated material and is guided by human directions. Nevertheless, from a technological perspective it puts it new flesh and sinew on these “old bones”.
As much as this new “intelligence” might be as exciting (and scary) to us now as Ezekiel’s prophesy was to its first listeners, what distinguishes Ezekiel’s prophesy is the power of the Spirit. God’s care for us brings back to life what has died metaphorically and literally. God’s grace is neither artificial nor derivative. Ezekiel knew the power of the spirit when he saw the whole house of Israel live again. Ezekiel’s predictive text, his prophecy, is very exciting and a little scary. It is nevertheless a reminder of God’s constant grace.
Thank you God for your breath of life and the prophesy of that we shall all live again.
Michael Moll