I am in San Francisco on the day of the iPhone 3G launch.  Since I am a tech guy, I knew it was going to be a big deal and the San Franciscans didn’t disappoint.  The Apple Store was easily identifiable because of the line that stretched down the block, around the corner and on.  Later in the day it was even worse as the sidewalk was completely blocked.

Later in the day, I was reading in John Piper’s book When I Don’t Desire God and came across the following paragraph:

The psalmist described the connection between inner blindess and idolatry.  “The idols of the nationa are… the work of human hands.  They have… eyes, but do not see… Those who make them become like them, so do all who trust them!” (Ps. 135:15-18) Make and trust a blind idol and you become blind.  Apply that principle to the modern world, and think of the idols of our won day.  What do we make and what do we trust?  Things.  Toys.  Technology.  And so our hearts and our affections are formed by these things.  They compress the void in our heart into shapes like toys.  the result is that we are easily moved and excited by things - computers, cars, appliances, entertainment media.  They seem to fit the shapes of our hearts.  They feel good in the tiny spaces they have made.  But in this readiness to receive pleasure from things, we are ill-shped for Christ.  He seems unreal, unattractive.  The eyes of our hearts grow dull.

I can’t help but think of the XBox 360, the computer, the DVD player, the digital camera, the iPod and all of the other bits and pieces of electronic stuff that are in my life and have to ask myself if I am not becoming a little spiritually near-sighted because of all of the things that I am settling for to give me pleasure and fulfillment, rather than the only One who deserves my praise and my enjoyment.