It seems we will have an early blast of the coming autumn over the next few days with nighttime temperatures dipping down to 50 or so although at this point the days will be pleasantly warm. Leaves are starting to turn, especially on the maples, and the rain over the weekend gave our gardens a much needed watering.
For many of us, our major concerns are the prices of gas and food, which are still rising, primarily due to the cost of shipping and the loss of immigrant labor in our farms. Here in New Jersey we have to wonder how mail-in ballots were shipped to Memphis last April, although USPS did catch the error and returned them to their proper locations. This error should make us concerned about this November.
Few of us, I daresay, understand many of the concerns raised by some writing about AI and whether it will pose an existential risk to humanity. Serious divisions exist in the Silicon Valley about its current and potential use. Last week a group of business and tech leaders, and academics called for a slowdown in AI development to examine its ethical uses and possibilities. Educating ourselves about this new world of AI may be really difficult but, in the end, also really necessary.
Prayer for the Day
Did we feel the earth shaking beneath our feet, O God,
When Galileo and the others argued that the earth moved?
Did we open ourselves to inquiry and seek answers, O Lord,
When geologists and scientists first discovered fossil remains?
Help us to ask the right questions in new worlds of discovery,
So we do not shut ourselves off from the world of the future.
In the name of the One who always asked questions,
Even Christ Jesus our Lord, Amen.
Thoughts for the Day
Should we automate away all the jobs, including the fulfilling ones? Should we develop nonhuman minds that might eventually outnumber, outsmart, obsolete and replace us? Powerful AI systems should be developed only once we are confident that their effects will be positive and their risks will be manageable.
From the letter, Future of Life Institute published
All but three states have worked with the post office to create a tracking system for ballots, so that voters can know exactly where their vote is. Election mail is flagged for special handling by the post office, cognizant of deadlines.
The Guardian, September 13, 2026
God is our refuge and our strength, a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
Though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
Though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult.
Psalm 46: 1-3