The View From the Watchtower

Understanding the times and learning how to live faithfully within them

By David Rolston  |  Dogwood Creek Institute  |  Start Here

Something is changing

Most people can feel it, even if they struggle to describe it.  ... The simmering pot is beginning to boil.

A World in Transformation

The technologies that surround us are advancing at breathtaking speed. Artificial intelligence is beginning to reshape education, medicine, business, and even human relationships. New discoveries in biotechnology promise to alter what it means to be healthy, to age, and perhaps even what it means to be human.

Around the world, nations are growing more unstable, freedoms once taken for granted are increasingly challenged, and cultural values seem to shift almost overnight. The threat of large-scale conflict is growing as nations begin to apply automated robotic military forces.

We are living through one of the most significant periods of transformation in human history. Many of the challenges we face have never confronted humanity before.

The Deeper Question

Yet beneath the headlines and technological breakthroughs lies a deeper question.

What does it mean to be human?

For centuries, people have understood themselves as more than machines. We have believed that human beings possess inherent dignity, moral responsibility, and a purpose that transcends mere survival. But today, many of the assumptions that once formed the foundation of Western civilization are being questioned.

If human beings are nothing more than biological machines, what makes human life valuable?

If artificial intelligence can perform tasks once thought uniquely human, what becomes of our understanding of intelligence, creativity, and personhood? 

AI may grant us enormous power while simultaneously dissolving our sense of purpose.  How will we discern truth in a world where reality can be cheaply and convincingly fabricated?

Global power is rapidly coalescing in the hands of a very small number of companies, countries, and individuals.  What will this do to our sense of freedom?  Is totalitarianism the inevitable result?  Can we develop the means to operate on our own devices when massive global forces are driving toward complete dependency?

These are not merely academic questions. They are questions that will shape our families, our churches, our communities, and the future our children inherit.

A Better Way

Unfortunately, many people feel unprepared for these conversations.

Some respond by ignoring the changes around them. Others react with fear. Still others become overwhelmed by the complexity of the issues and conclude that they can never understand what is developing - and, even if they could, there is little they can do about it.

We believe there is a better way.

Many people have lived through times of profound change. Empires rose and fell. New philosophies emerged. Cultural values shifted. Yet faithful men and women learned to understand their times and how to respond with wisdom, courage, and faith in God.

The challenge before us is no different.

Why Dogwood Creek Exists

The purpose of this site is not to predict every event or provide easy answers to difficult questions.

Our goal is something far more practical and far more important.

We want to help readers understand the world they are living in and the world that seems to be developing.

We want to explore the opportunities and risks created by emerging technologies.

We want to examine cultural and geopolitical developments through a biblical lens.

We want to ask hard questions about humanity, identity, freedom, truth, and faith.

Most importantly, we want to help readers thrive spiritually, intellectually, and practically in a rapidly changing world.

This is not a journey that can be taken alone.

The challenges ahead will require thoughtful discussion, careful study, and a community of people willing to learn together. We hope this site becomes a gathering place for those who believe that understanding the times is part of faithful discipleship.

What We Will Explore

In the months ahead, we will explore topics such as:

• Artificial intelligence and the future of humanity

• Technology, ethics, and human dignity

• Discerning truth in uncertain times

• Cultural and social transformation

• Threats to freedom and human flourishing

• Faithful Christian responses to uncertainty and change

• Practical preparation for the challenges of the future

• Hope, purpose, and meaning in an age of disruption

  
  

Our Purpose

Our purpose is not fear.

Our purpose is preparation.

Our purpose is not pessimism.

Our purpose is wisdom.

And our purpose is not merely to survive what lies ahead.

Our purpose is to help people live faithfully, confidently, and courageously in the midst of it.

Looking Ahead

The future will bring challenges that previous generations could scarcely imagine.

But it will also bring opportunities.  Opportunities to strengthen our own faith in turbulent times.

This is our moment to work together to better understand the coming days and to stand faithfully as they unfold.

We invite you to join us.