Published on 12/20/2005

The technological revolution is not painless. If you bought the new XBox 360 for your kids this Christmas, what do you do with their now obsolete video system? I purchased a digital camera for my trip to England this past summer; last Friday I found a camera half its size for half its cost. Progress has its price. Christmas is no exception. Because Jesus came to earth, you and I can gain eternal life in paradise. But such progress is not cheap.

Commentary

I used to wonder how Santa Claus knew how to find my house. Now I know--he uses Google Earth. As today's New York Times explains, the free software marries satellite and aerial images with mapping capabilities. As a result, you can download images of the Eiffel Tower, Big Ben, the pyramids, and your chimney for this Christmas Eve.

But not everyone is as happy as Santa about the website. Officials from several nations have expressed alarm over its detailed display of government buildings, military installations, and other sensitive sites within their borders. India's leaders are especially apprehensive, given their ongoing border disputes with neighboring nuclear power Pakistan. South Korea and Russia have voiced similar concerns. But it doesn't appear that the informational technology is going away. It's hard to unring a bell.

Meanwhile, this morning's Times reports that the House of Representatives will help us convert our televisions from analog to digital by February 17, 2009, the mandated deadline for broadcasters to transmit only digital signals. The government will give us $40 coupons toward the $60 converter box required for sets which are analog and not connected to cable or satellite equipment. Critics complain that the 70 to 80 million sets affected will cost more to convert than the government projects.

And a recent Dallas Morning News article reported that one in four Internet users is hit with e-mail scams every month, as cyber criminals try to steal personal information from us. Seventy percent were fooled by the e-mails, according to the report.

Christmas is no exception. Because Jesus came to earth, you and I can gain eternal life in paradise. But such progress is not cheap. It cost Jesus his life, and it costs us no less. God can bless only what we give to him. Here is what he wants for Christmas: "present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship" (Romans 12:2). He died for us, and he wants us to live for him.

Jesus doesn't need Google Earth to see you this morning. Digital television and e-mail are unnecessary to his omniscience. Have you given him your Tuesday yet? That's the price of his presence and blessing. It's the best Christmas bargain you'll find all week.