Imago Dei vs. AI

Recently I listened to the audiobook version of Non-Computable You: What You Do That Artificial Intelligence Never Will, by Robert J. Marks. (Thankfully, it was read by a real person, mispronunciations and all!) I don’t often encounter books that stretch my thinking and stir up the analytical part of my brain like this one did. The foundational idea is that information technologies can only do what they are programmed to do, and they cannot do anything that can’t be recorded as an algorithm. So if an idea can’t be broken down into some kind of formula or concrete process, a computer will never be able to do it. AI might be able to mimic the appearance of emotions, or to do things that the average human might not expect, but it cannot have an original thought or any emotion.

I was reminded of my childhood. I was in early elementary school when we bought our first computer— a VIC20, then later a Commodore 64. My brother and I quickly learned BASIC programming, because we wanted to play games that had to be typed in and then saved to cassette tapes. I still think of the many IF-THEN commands, especially when I’m creating new Excel formulas at work. Despite technological advances, computer logic still boils down to “If x is true, then do y, otherwise do z.”

The most alarming part of the book, and of AI in general, is that computers are being programmed by fallen and sinful human beings. Sometimes dangerous code is written by accident, through failure to consider all the possible outcomes. And sometimes it is written intentionally, by people with evil designs for the world. The results range anywhere from computer viruses that merely cripple computers or steal money, to devices intended to kill for no reason. Ethics and regulations only work for those who are willing to abide by the law.

Although the author focuses primarily on science and technology, he does bring a Christian perspective as well. The final line of the book is “Non-computable you are fearfully and wonderfully made.” In Creation, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them… The Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and man became a living creature” (Gen. 1:27, 2:7). Whether or not we understand all the implications of those scriptural truths, the fact is that we cannot replicate humanity through mechanical inventions. Artificial intelligence will always be exactly that— artificial.

As much as I enjoy watching Commander Data on Star Trek and his desire to become human, it’s actually quite reassuring that androids with that kind of independent thought will never exist. One ST:TNG episode asked whether Data had a soul, and the investigator couldn’t even prove that humans have souls. At some point, faith must come into play, and that’s something AI will never understand.

To add further mystery, not only are humans made in the image of God, but Christians also have God dwelling in us! The best that AI can say is that it was made by a man. But we can say, “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20). “Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body” (1 Cor. 6:19-20). We were made by God, enlivened by God, redeemed by God, indwelt by God, and one day will enjoy eternity with God. No computer or human invention can ever compare!

“Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be His people, and God Himself will be with them as their God” (Rev. 21:3).

© 2026 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Faithful Hope

In the March/April issue of Christianity Today, Russell Moore shares an interaction he had with a person from a prosperity gospel background who had been told it was her lack of faith that was the reason for her sickness and poverty. Because of the misconception of what faith means, he told her, “Why don’t we forget faith for a little while and just trust Jesus?” The article then goes on to clarify a similar misconception about the word hope. “When pressed to define what they mean, [many] ultimately describe what they’re seeking as measurable reassurance—the calming word from an authority that everything will turn out okay… The problem, though, is that this kind of hope disappoints.”

Faith and hope both require trusting Jesus to do what He has promised—nothing more and nothing less. It’s true that “God will supply every need of yours according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 4:19), but it is also true that we often fail to accurately discern between wants and needs (as I noted in my last post). We hope to see churches that are growing in numbers and activity, but it may be that God’s work is not quite that evident or tangible. We love freedom of religion, but God loves sufferers and sinners.

I’m reminded of the Bob Marley song “Three Little Birds” that says, “Don’t worry about a thing, ‘cause every little thing gonna be alright.” While that is an appealing idea, it’s balderdash from a human perspective. Everything is not going to be alright in this world. There will be sickness, suffering, destruction, deception, wars and rumors of wars. Jesus said, “All these are but the beginning of the birth pains” (Matt. 24:8), and Paul added, “the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies” (Rom. 8:22-23). All the pains won’t dissipate until Christ returns, so we can’t pin our hope on measurable results or make those results the proof of our faith.

Ultimately, what matters is not statistical growth or visible results, but the fact that Jesus died, rose from the dead, and is coming again. That’s where our faith and hope must dwell. Everything will be alright only after Jesus has returned, the final judgment is completed, and we have access to the new heavens and new earth in which righteousness dwells (2 Pet. 3:13).

“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful” (Heb. 10:23).

© 2026 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Now and Then

Happiness. Contentment. Belonging. Acceptance. Ability. Productivity. Confidence. Those are all good things, right? Things we ought to pursue? Maybe not. As many have said, when good things become “god things” we’ve got a problem, and that problem is idolatry. Most of us would agree that our modern culture pursues all those things by focusing on self. Many think “If it makes me feel good, it must be good.” And a parallel thought is, “If you make me feel bad about myself, you must be bad.”

Sometimes I wonder if God is shaking His head and saying, “Why do you think you are in charge?” From Genesis 3 onward, mankind has assumed that we know what’s best for ourselves. Even some segments of the Church have decided they can pick and choose what parts of Scripture they can discard, because surely “God wants me to be happy!” Jesus had a different perspective:

“If anyone would come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul?” (Mark 8:34-37).

God didn’t promise us happiness, acceptance, or self-confidence in this life. Quite the opposite, in fact. Jesus said the truly blessed are those who mourn the state of this world, who recognize their limitations, who pursue righteousness, and may be persecuted for the sake of righteousness (Matt. 5:3-12).

Unfortunately, there are many people in the world who are pursuing temporal satisfaction at the expense of eternal joy and peace, and who will one day hear “Depart from Me, I never knew you.” Christians can, and must, point to God as the ultimate authority over every life and to Jesus Christ as the only One who can redeem us from our sinful state. At the same time, we recognize that we cannot change hearts and minds by our own abilities. It is up to the Holy Spirit to open blind eyes and bring about conviction, repentance, and true belief. The Apostle Paul reminds us:

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies” (2 Cor. 4:7-10).

One day we will enjoy perfect joy, contentment, belonging, love, peace, and rest, but that Day has not yet come in its fullness. For the time being, we remind one another that “this light momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Cor. 4:17). Every sacrifice, suffering, and struggle for holiness in this life will be more than worthwhile when that final Day comes. Keep holding on to what you know is true in Christ!

“And this is eternal life, that they know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent” (John 17:3).

© 2026 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Our Father

In recent years I’ve been listening fairly regularly to the Daily Office Podcast based on the Anglican Book of Common Prayer. I used to think that the rote repetition of the Lord’s Prayer and other prayers was kind of a waste of time since it can be done without engaging our minds. However, my perspective is changing, in part because I noticed that my mom can still sing some hymns even though she can’t really communicate due to dementia.

As I mentioned in my last post, the things we think about repeatedly can literally reshape our brains. We need regular doses of truth and goodness to offset the many negative influences of our culture and habits. And when our thoughts start to slip away, the most-traveled mental paths will last longer.

There have been many times when phrases from the Lord’s Prayer have come to mind when I needed them, which has resulted in the following meditation.

“Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name,” You are the Creator, Sustainer, and Redeemer, and yet You invite us into Your family. You have supreme power, but we can call You “Abba, Father.” What a privilege it is to belong to You! Why would we ever want to turn to anyone else?

“Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.” In these troubled times and this broken world, we desire Your kingdom more than ever. We don’t know why You allow sin and destruction to continue, but we ask for You to change hearts and lives to follow You. Limit the impact of those who rebel against You and Your will. May we see how You are at work.

“Give us this day our daily bread.” Most of us don’t feel our neediness, because You have blessed us with the ability to earn a living to sustain us. Yet every good gift comes from You, and apart from Your provision we would have nothing. Keep us conscious of that fact so that we would be quick to share with those who need aid, whether next door or around the world.

“And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us.” It’s hard to admit when we’ve sinned or even just made a mistake, and yet we’re inclined to judge those around us for every perceived infraction. Help us to forgive everything from harsh words, rudeness, poor choices, emotional and physical attacks, to even persecution and senseless murder. While we were yet sinners Christ died for us, so we are enabled to forgive others as You have forgiven us.

“And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.” Thank You that You don’t just forgive us when we sin, but You actively lead us away from temptation. We don’t have the strength in ourselves to resist all the schemes of the world, the flesh, and the devil, but by Your Spirit we can find the way of escape. Remind us to look to You for that grace.

“For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever.” It is not our kingdom or power that will prevail in the end. Help us to remember Who is really in charge. Because You are sovereign, we submit to Your power so that You will be glorified now and forever. Amen.

© 2026 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.

Every Thought

It was once thought that by the time you reach adulthood, your brain does not change except that cells begin to die off. That has been repeatedly disproven, and neuroplasticity is the term for the constant change and rewiring that our brains do throughout our lives. Psychologists and theologians alike are realizing what implications this has for the way we think. Hebb’s Rule is that “the neurons that fire together wire together.” In other words, the more you think or behave a certain way, the more likely you will continue to do so.

In his book. The God-Shaped Brain, Dr. Timothy Jennings notes the profound impact our thoughts can have. He gives examples of those who have died of imagined diseases (such as a curse) or of diseases that the person thought were more serious than they really were. And in a recent podcast, Dr. Lee Warren advises that we need to rewire our brains by taming our self-talk, because we start to believe what we tell ourselves.

Scripture supports these concepts. “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my Rock and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14). It’s not just what we say aloud that matters, but what we think about. In Matthew 5, Jesus says that it is not just outward behavior that counts as sin, but also the angry or lustful attitudes in our hearts. We can be enslaved to sin without it ever showing outwardly (Rom. 6:16).

We can also be incredibly unloving, not just to others but to ourselves as well. I know I am much harder on myself than I ever would be on someone else. And yet, I am just as much God’s beloved child as they are. If God has forgiven us and does not condemn us, we should not condemn ourselves either (Rom. 8:1).

The Apostle Paul wrote, “We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5). He probably wasn’t thinking about neuroplasticity, but the concept still applies. When we notice the pattern of our thoughts, we have an opportunity to redirect them in ways that honor Christ as our Lord and Savior. It’s not always easy or quick, but over time we’ll see a change becoming embedded in our brains.

No doubt this is why we are told, “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you” (Phil. 4:8-9). We need constant practice in monitoring what goes into our brains as well as what comes out of them. The things that we meditate on, either good or bad, impact our views of God, self, and others (Rom. 1:21).

Although I don’t generally make New Year’s resolutions, my hope and desire for the year ahead (and for the rest of my life), is to take every thought captive to obey Christ so that the meditation of my heart will be acceptable in His sight. That’s a path where ongoing growth is always possible because it is God’s desire for each of His children.

“Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect” (Rom. 12:2).

© 2026 Dawn Rutan. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture are ESV and all images copyright free from pixabay.com. The opinions stated do not necessarily reflect the views of my church or employer.