KENOSIS

Scripture Readings (suggested):

Exodus 3:7-8 – “I have seen the misery of my people… I have heard their cry.”
John 1:14 – “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
Romans 8:22-28 – “All creation is groaning… and the Spirit intercedes with sighs too deep for words.”

Introduction: Where Is God When the World Hurts?

My brothers and sisters in Christ,

Have you ever asked the question — Where is God when I’m in pain?
When war breaks out… when a child dies… when we cry out in prayer and hear no answer?

Today, I want to share with you a vision of God that is deeply comforting, deeply challenging, and maybe even a bit surprising — a vision of God in process. A God who is not far off, not untouched by suffering, not a cold ruler above the clouds — but a living, feeling, moving God, who walks with us in every moment of becoming.

1. Not a Distant King — But a Loving Participant

In many traditional images, God is portrayed as all-powerful, unchanging, and unaffected by the world. But is that the God we meet in Scripture?

Think of Moses at the burning bush. God says:

“I have seen the misery of my people. I have heard their cry. I know their suffering.” (Ex 3:7)

This is not a God who stands apart. This is a God who feels, who listens, who responds. This is a relational God — a God in process.

The theologian Alfred North Whitehead spoke of this vision of God. He described God as having two sides:

One side that is eternal, holding all the beauty and possibilities of what could be.
And another side that is in time with us, who responds, feels, and grows in relationship with creation.

God is not a distant monarch — God is a companion in the journey of life.

2. God Who Suffers With Us

Friends, this is good news for all who suffer. Because if God is only distant and all-controlling, then what do we do with evil? What do we do with pain?

But Whitehead’s insight — and more importantly, the witness of Scripture — tells us:

God does not cause suffering — God suffers with us.
God does not control the world by force — God moves it forward by love.

This is the God revealed in Jesus Christ — who wept at Lazarus' tomb, who suffered on the cross, who took on our pain to redeem it.

God is not the unmoved mover — God is the most moved mover.
As theologian Jürgen Moltmann said:

“Only a suffering God can help.”

3. God of the Present Moment – Always Offering More

Whitehead spoke of God as constantly luring us — not forcing, not commanding — but inviting us, moment by moment, into deeper life.

At every crossroads, every pain, every joy — God is there, whispering:

“Here is a better way. Choose love. Choose peace. Choose truth.”

God doesn't override our freedom, but honors it. And in every choice, God works — even in our failures — to bring about healing, meaning, and new creation.

As Paul says in Romans 8:

“In all things God works for good with those who love Him.”

Not that everything is good — but that God works within everything to bring about the good.

4. Our Response – Walking with the God Who Walks with Us

So what does this mean for us?

It means God is not done with us. You are a work in process — and so is the world.
It means every moment matters — because God is present in it, calling you forward.
It means we are co-creators with God — our prayers, our choices, our actions really matter.
And it means we can trust that God feels with us, and never leaves us alone.

Conclusion: God Becoming with Us

Beloved in Christ,
We are not alone in our suffering.
We are not abandoned in our confusion.
And we are not finished yet.

God is with us — not as a static judge, but as a living presence, constantly drawing us toward love, beauty, justice, and truth.

As John writes:

“The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.”
That Word still dwells among us — still calls to us — still becomes with us.

So let us walk with the God who walks with us.
Let us trust the God who is always becoming — always loving — always calling us.

Introduction

In an age increasingly shaped by Artificial Intelligence (AI), society is confronted with a critical question: When should we turn to machines, and when should we trust the mind and heart of the human person? As AI rapidly expands into education, healthcare, agriculture, communication, and even spiritual life, the ethical imperative becomes clear: we must adopt a preferential option for natural intelligence, using artificial intelligence only when human capabilities are insufficient or unavailable.

This principle, drawing inspiration from the “preferential option for the poor” in Catholic Social Teaching, is a call to reaffirm human dignity, preserve ecological sustainability, and resist technological excess.

The Case for Natural Intelligence

Human intelligence is holistic, relational, and context-driven. Unlike AI systems, which operate on data-driven logic and pattern recognition, natural intelligence is embedded in embodied experience, emotional nuance, ethical discernment, and creative intuition. These uniquely human faculties evolve over time through struggle, memory, community, and culture.

Preferring natural intelligence means:

Trusting teachers, mentors, and elders over algorithmic tutors.
Relying on the intuition of farmers, artisans, or healers honed by years of experience.
Honoring indigenous knowledge, oral traditions, and cultural wisdom that AI cannot replicate.

Natural intelligence is not only ethically richer, but also environmentally sustainable. The human mind does not require massive data centers or rare-earth minerals to function. It runs on food, rest, and relationships — not fossil fuels.

When Is AI Justified? A Subsidiarity Approach

The principle of subsidiarity — long rooted in ethical philosophy and Catholic social thought — suggests that decisions or tasks should be handled at the most local, capable level before escalating to higher powers. Applying this to AI:

Artificial intelligence should be adopted only when natural intelligence is genuinely insufficient.

In this framework, AI is complementary, not competitive. It is used:

To process large-scale data that exceeds human capacity (e.g., climate modeling).
In dangerous or inaccessible environments (e.g., disaster zones).
To provide accessibility tools for those with cognitive, visual, or mobility challenges.
As a support, not a replacement, in teaching, counseling, and caregiving.

AI, then, becomes a servant of humanity, not its substitute.

Dangers of Disregarding This Principle

Without discernment, the overuse of AI risks multiple forms of degradation:

1. De-skilling and Dependency

Replacing natural intelligence with AI leads to loss of human skills — from writing and reasoning to driving and diagnosing. Future generations may grow dependent on systems they no longer understand.

2. Erosion of Human Dignity

In education, healthcare, and pastoral care, relational presence cannot be outsourced to machines. Reducing human beings to data points or behavioral profiles undermines their inherent worth.

3. Environmental Costs

Large-scale AI requires enormous energy, contributes to e-waste, and depends on extractive industries for hardware components. Preferential use of AI may contradict sustainability goals unless tightly controlled.

4. Social Injustice

As AI replaces human labor, it can deepen inequality, displace workers, and benefit the few who control the technology — unless ethical frameworks and redistribution are built into adoption policies.

Natural Intelligence and Integral Ecology

The preferential option for natural intelligence aligns deeply with the vision of integral ecology, as proposed in Pope Francis’ Laudato Si’. It encourages a relationship between humanity and technology that is mutually respectful, just, and in harmony with the earth.

Rather than embracing AI as a default solution to every problem, we are called to slow down, discern, and ask:

Is this task better performed by a machine — or by a human being in relationship?
Does this use of AI enhance or erode human community?
What are the unseen costs — ecological, spiritual, and social?

These are not anti-technology questions — they are pro-human and pro-creat

Conclusion: Let Human Wisdom Lead

In a world fascinated by artificial intelligence, we must not lose our reverence for natural intelligence — the slow, patient, luminous gift that arises from human experience, ethical growth, and spiritual seeking.

Let us embrace technology wisely, guided by a principle that says:

“Let human wisdom lead; let artificial intelligence serve.
Use AI not to replace human minds, but to uplift them when needed — and only when needed.”

This is not resistance to progress. It is a deeper vision of rightful place, responsible use, and reverence for the human soul in the digital age.