Unbound: Freedom in a Digital Worldنموونە

Paul warns the Colossians against being taken captive by "hollow and deceptive philosophy." Paul puts the crosshairs directly on the prevalent mysticism that we have already discussed in this study. This mysticism was a kind of religious add-on that claimed to create even greater religious experience and knowledge for those who followed the “higher ways.” With the right level of commitment of either money or, in this setting more often, social capital, a person could ascend beyond the normal and dull experiences of life. Paul says that this approach is both hollow and deceptive.

Those are two apt words to describe the philosophy or practices that guide the development of most social media apps: hollow and deceptive.

In the last couple years, there has been a rising voice of whistleblowers describing the developmental practices of social media platforms like Facebook and TikTok. These men and women have described how social media platforms used cognitive science to develop apps that would create addiction and habitual use. By specifically targeting the production of dopamine rushes in the brain, everything from the feed you see to the way you scroll the screen has been crafted to create a hollow addiction. We use these apps without them providing any substance to our lives. Not only has this demonstrated the deceptive practices of these companies, but it has also demonstrated how hollow their actual product is.

We have a natural and innate need for relationships and belonging. These companies have sought to fill this need with facades of relationships. Rather than having to be in a deep and abiding relationship to know what is going on with another human being, we are now able to know what's going on with tons of people without actually ever having to interact with them face to face. We know their pain without holding their hand or looking into their tear-stained eyes. We see their smile while never hearing their boisterous laughter as they fall out of their chair. It is no wonder so many of us feel hollow in our day-to-day lives.

Paul's encouragement to the church in Colossae from prison gives us guidance for how to deal with our hollowness today. He writes, "For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness” (V. 9-10).

Christ brings our hollow humanity into the fullness of relationship with God. The Father, Son, and Spirit dwell together in fullness. Surely, there is nothing hollow about them. Jesus did not come to earth to simply teach us how to have fullness. He doesn't give us five steps to a full life or sell us a new app to fill our wildest dreams. Instead, he takes on our plight of separation through sin and crucifies it on the cross in his flesh, his humanity. In our baptism, we join with him in this crucifixion of all that is deceptive and hollow. Then, through the resurrection and ascension, he elevates us with him into the fullness of divine life. He does all of this while keeping his humanity, his scarred flesh. Our longing for full and authentic relationships finds fulfillment in our humanity through an intimate relationship with God and one another.

Practice fullness today in Jesus' life by laughing with someone else. Plan a visit with the funniest person you know or the person you love to laugh with. Watch a funny movie together or just tell some dad jokes.