Warp Speed
Did you ever notice that there are no stores in science fiction movies? No malls, no supermarkets, no Wal-Mart. For that matter, there are no libraries either, no gas stations or convenience stores, no churches. It's kind of funny, though, that most science fiction has some version of a bar. And, of course, nearly all science fiction features high-tech weapons, and various forms of personal transportation and intricate communication devices. Most travel occurs at warp speed throughout the vast, unknown universe. However, locals often walk, rarely venturing too far beyond their home turf.
In the world of science fiction, life is broken down into the basics; survival skills are essential. People and aliens harvest their own food or, at the other end of the spectrum, consume oddly fabricated nutrients prepared technologically at the touch of a button. Medical care is non-invasive, instantaneous, and usually free--or, in some cases, it is non-existent. After all, even the best medical care can't restore those who have been vaporized.
Characters in the science fiction genre don't seem to own many material goods beyond what they really need. In the other worlds of science fiction, even large, palatial homes are sparsely furnished. Often, the landscape is equally barren and unwelcoming.
What a contrast to life in America, where we have so much abundance. Now, as we get ready for Christmas, we have hundreds of choices of places to shop. Even here in sparsely populated western Nebraska, we can choose from several downtown stores or the mall, or those of us who feel particularly daring can venture into Wal-Mart, K-Mart, or Target on any busy Saturday afternoon in December. If we can't find what we're looking for in Scottsbluff, it isn't unusual for us to hop into the car and scoot down the interstate to Cheyenne or Fort Collins for an afternoon of marathon shopping.
Yet, for many of us, we might as well have no mall, no supermarket, and no Wal-Mart, because we have embraced the convenience of internet shopping. It's so easy to Google exactly what we are looking for, compare prices instantly, place an order and pay with plastic or PayPal. Within an incredibly short period of time, our purchases arrive at the door. With just the touch of a few buttons on our state-of-the-art smart phones or i-pads, we can avoid the holiday crowds at our local shopping centers and buy exactly what we want. I guess the twenty-first century has really arrived, just like it used to be portrayed in the movies. It sounds kind of like science fiction, doesn't it?
I wonder what's next? Will we be forced to pare down our lifestyles to encompass only those things we really need? Will institutions like libraries and schools, and even churches, give way to on-line services? In the not-too-distant future, will local stores and shopping centers become obsolete? Will most of our education and socialization, and even our worship, be conducted via on-line electronics? Will our face-to-face contact with people outside of our families be limited to those ever-present bars?
Do we really want to live in a world where science fiction will become our reality? It sounds pretty bleak to me. But then, life without God always is.
In the world of science fiction, life is broken down into the basics; survival skills are essential. People and aliens harvest their own food or, at the other end of the spectrum, consume oddly fabricated nutrients prepared technologically at the touch of a button. Medical care is non-invasive, instantaneous, and usually free--or, in some cases, it is non-existent. After all, even the best medical care can't restore those who have been vaporized.
Characters in the science fiction genre don't seem to own many material goods beyond what they really need. In the other worlds of science fiction, even large, palatial homes are sparsely furnished. Often, the landscape is equally barren and unwelcoming.
What a contrast to life in America, where we have so much abundance. Now, as we get ready for Christmas, we have hundreds of choices of places to shop. Even here in sparsely populated western Nebraska, we can choose from several downtown stores or the mall, or those of us who feel particularly daring can venture into Wal-Mart, K-Mart, or Target on any busy Saturday afternoon in December. If we can't find what we're looking for in Scottsbluff, it isn't unusual for us to hop into the car and scoot down the interstate to Cheyenne or Fort Collins for an afternoon of marathon shopping.
Yet, for many of us, we might as well have no mall, no supermarket, and no Wal-Mart, because we have embraced the convenience of internet shopping. It's so easy to Google exactly what we are looking for, compare prices instantly, place an order and pay with plastic or PayPal. Within an incredibly short period of time, our purchases arrive at the door. With just the touch of a few buttons on our state-of-the-art smart phones or i-pads, we can avoid the holiday crowds at our local shopping centers and buy exactly what we want. I guess the twenty-first century has really arrived, just like it used to be portrayed in the movies. It sounds kind of like science fiction, doesn't it?
I wonder what's next? Will we be forced to pare down our lifestyles to encompass only those things we really need? Will institutions like libraries and schools, and even churches, give way to on-line services? In the not-too-distant future, will local stores and shopping centers become obsolete? Will most of our education and socialization, and even our worship, be conducted via on-line electronics? Will our face-to-face contact with people outside of our families be limited to those ever-present bars?
Do we really want to live in a world where science fiction will become our reality? It sounds pretty bleak to me. But then, life without God always is.
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