Looking at Artificial Intelligence Generated Images Will Hurt Your Soul (Look at Jesus Instead)

 By Rev. Dan Greg

Have you ever seen images/memes like this?

This image was randomly generated by a computer’s so-called “artificial intelligence” program.  

 

A computer program scours the internet, full of images, and spins them altogether into "art."

 

The result?

 

Frankenstein, but worse.

 

A crude mockery. 

 

Instead of "man made horrors beyond our comprehension," 

 

They're inhuman. 

 

Other. 

If you’re a Christian like me, or even a God fearing pagan; when you look at this image, something turns in your gut.

Something’s wrong. . . It’s disgusting!

This image and others like it, are Philistine barbarisms of the beautiful work of God who created all things out of nothing (Hebrews 11:3).

They even mar the beautiful work of Man or Woman who were gifted the creative spirit when they received the “image of God” and “breath of life” (Genesis 1:27, 2:7).

One of the simple pleasures we steward from God is that all people can get a taste of this creativity when they paint a painting, write a poem, sing a new song in the shower, you name it. 

However, this is not quite the same as God’s creation. He creates out of nothing and we create out of other things: paint, words, clay, etc.

The closest human beings can get to sharing in God’s creativity is through procreation (Genesis 1:28).  There, a human being is created, seemingly out of nothing, though still with God’s help (Genesis 4:1).

Even when procreation is not possible for all people, God still shows his mercy on Christians when one has the opportunity to adopt, foster, or mentor.

Adoption, fostering, mentorship, is fatherhood and motherhood.  

Never let anyone tell you otherwise.  

The scriptures back you up (Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:5, Ephesians 1:5, etc). 

Don’t believe me? 

Well if you’re a Christian, remember that Jesus’ adoptive father is Joseph, son of David. 

Through this adoption, Jesus Christ truly is “son” of the line of David, yet also truly the Son of God.

Compare this with the lifeless, automatic generation of images through a computer program.

Cold.

LIfeless.

Thoughtless.

Heartless.

Think of the Tin Man in The Wizard of Oz, “If only I had a heart!”

Only, this Tin Man wants to steal your private data, sell you products, and hurt your soul instead of walk down the yellow brick road with you.

* * *

But Dan, why would any of this hurt my mind, soul, heart, etc?

First things first, let’s grab a “home base” bible verse that we can touch back to. (Everyone still knows the rules of baseball, right?)

“Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it” (Proverbs 4:234, NIV)

This verse is a warm fire that I return to throughout my life when I have to make choices of friends, activities (often at night on the weekends), or consume entertainment.

I will always remember my mother repeating it early on as I needed guidance.  I will always remember it being the theme verse for a men’s retreat that I went on with my Father in Law.

Your highest priority as a Christian in your day to day life is to “guard your heart.”

Why?

Jesus says it’s because, “out of the heart of man, comes evil” (Mark 7:21, ESV). 

Though, he says, that evil gets in there through your eyes and ears.

Jesus is echoing the full counsel of God, stretching back to the shrewd wisdom of the Patriarchs:

“Whoever has no rule over his own spirit

Is like a city broken down, without walls.” (Proverbs 25:28, NKJV)

So it would seem, Jesus wants us to keep watch over our hearts.

We need to guard our heart and spirit from evil images, evil words, evil tricks of the Evil One.

Turn off the phone, the TV, the latest streaming filth that brings evil into your heart and the hearts of all who live there.

In fact, Jesus says, “Blessed are the pure (καθαρός) in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8, ESV)

That Greek word can be translated also as “cleansed.” 

With the help of the Holy Spirit found in God’s Word and Sacraments, let’s clean our hearts, crucify the flesh with its passions and desires (Galatians 5:24), setting our minds on higher things (Colossians 3:2), not lowly things.

When you confess your sin, God who is faithful and just will forgive your sin (1 John 1:9).

He will “create in [you] a clean heart” (Psalm 51:10, ESV).

Forgiveness.

Mercy.

Love.

We are new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17), the old has passed away; behold, the new has come.

We ought to look instead at images of Jesus Christ, the chosen “image of the invisible God” (Colossians 1:15, ESV). 

I mean. . . He’s exactly who God chose to reveal Himself as.

First He revealed His Name is YHWH.

The Name that is mighty to save.

That saved you in your baptism.

The mighty name, the Word, that became flesh and dwelt among us.

And the vast mystery of God, all of the universe’s woe, joy, and peace, 

 

the unknowable; 

 

was made clear and simple for us lowly sinners: as we survey the wondrous cross.

* * *

Keep in mind, the evil heartless artificial intelligence will try to mock this, too.

Just look at it:

But we know better.

Even when mocked like this, even by robots and software, our humble Lord Jesus looks down on his mockers and prays, “forgive them, Father, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:34, ESV).

Only in this case, they truly do not know what they are doing. 

They are machines.

Or is something darker and more spiritual at the heart of those machines? 

More on that some other time. . .

The best way to depict the chosen image of the invisible God is by the gifted hands of God’s chosen craftsmen and women: human artists (Exodus 31:1-11).

It’s how the same God who said “make no graven image” can also command humans to make heavenly images for His Temple.

Who knows? 

Maybe outside of procreation, God gave us the gift of creativity so that we could make beautiful images of His Son?

In case this stuff worries you.

In case you like your crosses empty up there.

In case you don’t like Crucifixes, but love Nativity Scenes.

Read this early Church Father quote (7th century):

“Previously God, who has neither a body nor a face, absolutely could not be represented by an image. 

But now that he has made himself visible in the flesh and has lived with men, I can make an image of what I have seen of God. . . and contemplate the glory of the Lord, his face unveiled” 

(St John Damascene, De imag. 1, 16).

Rejoice when you see an image of Christ, especially on a cross.

You have been given the inexpressible gift from YHWH your God to look upon the face of God; 

even if it’s only for the time being “through a looking glass darkly” (1 Corinthians 13:12).

The Almighty God is looking back at you.

And instead of striking you dead for your uncleanness and sinfulness. . .

He loves you, forgives you, dies for you, rises again and lives now for you.

“Rejoice. . . again I will say, rejoice” (Philippians 4:4, ESV)!

Need more reason?  

Hear ye the 7th Ecumenical Council! 

This is a council that most all orthodox Christian churches confess together:

“As the sacred and life-giving cross is everywhere set up as an image, so also should the images of Jesus Christ. . . in the manufacture of sacred vessels, tapestries, vestments, etc., and exhibited on the walls of churches, in the homes, and in all conspicuous places, by the roadside and everywhere, to be revered by all who might see them. 

For the more they are contemplated, the more they move to fervent memory of their prototypes. Therefore, it is proper to accord to them a fervent and reverent veneration, not, however, the adoration which, according to our faith, belongs to the God alone 

(Seventh Session of the Second Council of Nicaea, October 13, 787)

No. . . you’re not worshiping the statue or the painting.

You’re worshiping Christ. 

“All things were created through Him and for Him. And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:16-17, ESV)

Paul uses this ancient hymn, the work of Godly artists, inspired by the Holy Spirit, to always point us back to the animating force and backbone of all creation: Jesus Christ Himself, the Divine Logos (John 1).

Find an image, draw an image, paint an image, write an image of the invisible God: Jesus Christ.

For in Him we live and move and have our being (Acts 17:28).  (How ironic that these words are also the work of a human artist/poet, repurposed to His Divine Will.)

Don’t look at A.I. generated art, especially of our Lord. 

Ick!

There’s enough homemade stuff to go around.

Fr. Dan Greg is an LCMS pastor in the northwest suburbs of Chicago.