The blank screen suddenly came alive. The words appeared ‘Wat u doin?’ Science blinked once. He knew this could happen only under one command. Smiling he typed ‘Waitn 4 u to chat…’ The text box displayed the message ‘God is typing a message…’ This was going to be fun!

God: You don’t seem too surprised to see me online.

Science: Duh… Surprised no… Thrilled yes 🙂

God: Thrilled? Y so? wats diff now?

Science: Well for one it shows u approve!

God: n y wld u think I wldn’t approve technology?

Science: Not really ‘not approve’… u can be anywhere anytime. So u wldn’t prbly knw abt a need for social networking… btw this is cool…

God: Can I suggest that we stick to the formal English spellings? I am not too sure if everyone can follow your new ones…

Science: Sure God! Anything for you 😉

God: Tell me my dear, is this as much fun as being with me in person?

Science: Ah… Now that’s a tough call! Father, I love being with you and nothing can really replace that. But having known you and experienced you, this is also cool… (With a shrug) I mean I can simulate the feeling of being in your presence.

God: And if you had never really experienced my presence, would this still suffice?

Science: All the more so, if I had never experienced your presence, at least a chat will be better than nothing!

God: But what I mean is, given the choice of being with me or simply chatting with me, what do you think you would choose?

Science: If you ask me personally, I would choose both. I would love to be with you and also chat with you. Lord! Chatting is only another language, another method of communication. So like English, Hindi, Spanish… Singing, dancing, painting… science and math, we now have messaging, email, chat…

God: Hmm… Which also means that if you have nothing to say, the language really doesn’t matter!

Science: (Smiling) Yup! Sorry! I mean Yes!

God: Then the real challenge for anyone is not creating more avenues to communicate but actually having something special to say.

Science: Very true Father. In fact there was a section of humanity which thought with the launch of the internet eCommerce would replace the trader! Now that was really being narrow minded for eCommerce is only another expression of trade. In fact, it is a beautiful additional platform for trade. And it most certainly opened the vistas of trading, making the whole world a global village. Now products that used to be a monopoly have become abundantly available. Because of the easy access, the markets have opened to many possibilities.

God: While on the one hand, what you say is right and competition does help the industry mature, it is equally true my dear, that the ‘false’ players shake the stability of the economy.

Science: But ultimately Father, if one does have a good product, it is likely to sell.

God: I am not talking about a product being good and thereby creating a surplus in the economy. I am talking about the artificial demands that get created by people willing to venture into a trade without any authority or understanding for that!

Science waited. The screen once again flashed ‘God is typing a message…’

God: Imagine there is a tiny island country with one small piece of land with three people living in it. The total money in circulation here is only $2 – two pieces of $1 coins. The three people A, B and C each have an asset – A owns the land. B and C own $1 each. Now B decides to buy that piece of land from A in exchange for his $1. So now A and C each have $1 and B owns a land worth $1. What is the net asset of that country?

Science: $3

God: Now C thinks ‘There is just one piece of land. So its value will surely appreciate. So let me buy that piece of land’. But surely B will not sell it to C for the same $1. So C decides to borrow $1 from A and together with his own $1, C buys the land from B for $2. Now what is the net asset of the country?

Science: A has a loan to C for $1. So his net asset is $1.

B sold his land and got $2, so his net asset is $2

C owns a piece of land worth $2 but he also has a debt to A for $1. So his net asset is $2-$1 = $1.

So the total net asset of the country is $4

God: Right! Lets get on with the story. Now A realises that the land he once owned has increased in value. He regrets having sold it. Luckily he has a $1 loan to C. So he borrows $2 from B and acquires the land back from C for $3 by cancelling the $1 C owed A. What happens to the country’s net asset?

Science: ‘A’ has a piece of land worth $3. But he owes B $2. So his net asset is $1

B loaned to A $2 so his net asset is $2

C has $2 from his sale and no debt to A. So his net asset is $2

Net asset of the country is now $5

God: Imagine if this keeps going on… B sees the value of the land increasing. So he borrows from C $2 and cancels his loan to A for $2 and buys the land from A for $4…

Science: Now A has no debt and he has $2 from B. So net asset is $2

B has a land for $4 but owes C $2. So net asset is $2

C loaned $2 to B, so his net asset is also $2

Country’s net asset is now $6.

God: Hmm… Everybody is happy. They feel they have been equally lucky. But my dear even today the actual asset in circulation is only one piece of land and $2 in coins!

Science: (Typed after a pause) But Father, what would happen if nobody wants that piece of land?

God: (Science could sense the smile) Let us see… What if A and C decide that the land owned by B is worth only $1. They are no longer interested in buying the land. So now A has $2 in coins. B has a land which he thought was worth $4 but now only $1. He owes C $2. So B’s net asset will fall to a negative -$1. C loaned $2 to B. His net asset is still $2 but it is bad debt he cannot collect it from B. So now the country’s asset is back to $3. Who stole the asset of the country? How did the net asset drop from $6 to $3?

Science: It was all just a big bubble! Redistribution of wealth.

God: Exactly! So by merely ‘re-distributing’ anything you don’t actually ‘create’ it.

Suddenly Science became aware of the blank screen. He felt the presence of the Lord. Gratefully he dropped his head into God’s lap.

Science: I understand Father. When technology is used to actually create something, it  does have enormous potential. But when it is merely used to redistribute, while it has its worth in speedy communication, by itself it is not accomplishing anything.

God: My dear, imagine there is a beautifully decorated ornamental coffin. The body inside though has been dead a while. Beside it is a shabby rickety cradle from which a happy child gurgles and smiles. Which do you think will be more attractive?

Science: (With a gentle smile) The child alive of course Father. But I was created by you to make the cradle ornate, to give that live child a beautifully carved cradle that can enhance his beautiful life.

God: Exactly my dear. However ornate the coffin is, when it holds merely a dead body, it is not attractive. If on the other hand that decoration can be given to the cradle holding a bubbly child, the impact of life will be far reaching. However many degrees in designing one may achieve, if he has nothing to say, it still is pointless. Let humanity not waste time on technology that merely creates a bubble. Let it learn to use the technology to create not merely avenues of expression but contents for expression.

Science: (Pondering) Why did you ask me if I prefer you in person or online?

Science’s head fell without support. The screen came alive. The words began to appear…

God: My dear, when you have experienced Bliss, you don’t need eBliss. And trying to create eBliss awareness most certainly doesn’t guarantee Bliss! sos…gotta go… ttyl… bye 🙂

Written by Gita Krishna Raj  |  Published in infinithoughts in September 2011

When Science met God… |  Segment Two: From the Apes  |  Chapter Four: eBliss