Left to Our Own Devices

Hiding in most of our pockets is a shiny black mirror with a logo on the back that evokes the forbidden fruit of Genesis 3. As the apple was the irresistible temptation that promised Adam and Eve the freedom to be as gods, so today the ­iPhone gnaws at our minds, promising us the answer to any question, the power to summon any pleasure, and the ability to be present anywhere. But the symbol goes deeper: Meditating on that forbidden fruit reveals how we have surrendered control to our devices, abdicating our God-given responsibility to rule the world he gifted to us.