Novelty and Newness, There is a Difference

[HKHaugan]

Novelty and Newness, There is a Difference

 “Because of the Lord’s great love, we are not consumed, His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness.  I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion; therefore, I will wait for Him (Lam.3:22-23).”

 There are two kinds of newness, novelty and spiritual newness.  Heed the above quote from Lamentations.  The Lord’s love and His compassions “are new every morning.”  What kind of newness is spiritual newness?  We’ll get to that after a look at what secular society thinks newness is.

 Novelty.  Secular society is obsessed with novelty.  With all the developing technology, a growing population and fascination with bizarre behavior, there is no end to the novelties available for people.  As soon as a new phone, computer or device is invented, a new look, lines of people stand outside stores to buy them.  Novelty in clothing, cosmetics, electronics, physical appearance and possessions consume us.  For instance, the auto industry is geared to present something novel with each next year’s models. 

 One thing is sure in the world of consumerism, novelty rules.  The world atmosphere is soaked with the idea of having something new and experiencing new things even if it means just watching them.  Advertising it all places its own spin on novelty.  We could take a lesson from kids and their presents at Christmas.  They get novel things, play with them for a while, then end up happier, creatively playing with the boxes they came in. 

 How many novel things do we buy that lose their attraction after the first use?  The promise of anything material offering an identity, security and relational comfort, is as fake as the contrived methods that sell them.  It’s like watching a cat go after blown bubbles. When he taps one it disappears.  Through it all, spiritual reality takes a back seat to the expansive access of things that offer temporary satisfaction.  

 If it can rust or bust or turn to dust and inspire lust, it’s something you can’t trust.

 Novelty is fake newness.  Let me repeat, novelty is fake newness.

 Novelty is having the latest of everything to get a feeling of security, identity, acceptance and inner satisfaction in the moment of perceived needs, not real needs---perceived needs.  There’s the glaring problem.  Perceived needs are temporary, real needs are spiritual and eternal.  Real needs supersede the moment and cover a lifetime plus, like those we just mentioned; security, identity, acceptance, purpose and inner satisfaction (peace).  Real needs can only be satisfied in a relationship with God.  

 Now consider this, everything man invents is an extension of his physical body to satisfy perceived needs.  With planes, trains and cars we can cover more distance in less time than walking.  With computers, we can cover more mental terrain.  With huge machinery, we can move mountains and build buildings.  Microscopes and telescopes see more than the naked eye.  Sound equipment from sonar to other high intensity listening devices work for our ears.  Cook books solve our taste fantasies.  We multiply beauty, sight, taste, touch, hearing with huge gardens, decorative architecture, music, art and exotic travel destinations.

 But underneath it all It is the unseen qualities and abilities that lie in the mind and heart, the desire to invent, the ability to invent, the goodness of creativity, are reflections of the ‘looking-forward’ nature of God.  Thus, they are spiritual.  So, ultimately it is the image of God within each human body that is given the creativity to shape things out of physical reality.  Creativity, purpose and desire and the joy of accomplishment are spiritual and what they produce is their fruit.  Separated from God they eventually become an idolatrous tower of Babel, with their final destination---aloneness.  Therefore, it’s not the technology itself that is the problem.  It is the false concept of newness and its immoral use.  Sin is the heart issue waiting to subvert what is good.  Novelty is the false spirit behind the scene.  Gadgetry and the ‘I’ve-got-to-have-that-now’ attitude prevail. 

 All the ‘new’ stuff, which was supposed to make more time and knowledge available, have become worshiped idols and only increased the pace of life beyond our ability to deal with it.  The way secular society thinks of newness gets everybody to do the same and look the same.  Gadgetry technology is an idol, a secular god that plays on our tendency to think only of the moment.  The ‘moment’ has become more pressure filled than ever in history.  Relational life has taken a real beating.  Is it any wonder the drug culture has been so overwhelming?  The old rabbinic adage holds true that tells us we have shifted to loving things and using people instead of loving people and using things. That means the real issue is not the things but the attitude that employs them.  Novelty leads to a dead end, literally.  And, attitude is spiritual.  So, just what is spiritual newness, God’s newness?  That’s next.