20/26 Vision (Part 1): Breaking The Algorithm: The Theology Of The "other" Series

Think back to the year 2010. We were told the internet would be the "Great Equalizer." We believed that if everyone had a voice, we would finally understand one another. We imagined a global village where borders would fall away, where technology would bridge every divide, where connection would finally heal our fractured world.

But by 2026, we've realized the opposite happened. Instead of a global village, we built a global high school cafeteria, where every table is a fortress.

And here's what haunts me as I stand here: I'm not angry about this. I'm grieved by it. Because this wasn't a conspiracy. Nobody woke up in a Silicon Valley office in 2010 and said, "Let's fragment humanity." It happened slowly, invisibly, through the very mechanisms that were supposed to save us.

Context of Epistemic Closure: The Room of Mirrors

The term "Epistemic Closure" was popularized in political science, but it has deep spiritual implications that we need to reckon with in the church.

Imagine a room with no windows, only mirrors. When you speak, you only hear your own echo. When you look out, you only see your own face. You feel connected because you're surrounded by reflections that validate every thought you have. But you're alone. And you don't even know it.

This is the "Filter Bubble."

In 2026, algorithms are designed to keep you "engaged," and the easiest way to keep you engaged is to feed your ego. The algorithm knows that if it shows you something that challenges you, you might "exit" the app. It knows that cognitive dissonance causes friction. So it shields you from the "Other." It creates a version of the truth that is comfortable, but it is a half-truth.

And here's the dangerous part: a half-truth lived as a whole truth becomes a full lie.

The Babel Connection: The Sin Wasn't the Tower. It Was the Uniformity

Let's look at Genesis 11:1-9. The text says, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves."

We usually think the sin of Babel was pride that audacious human impulse to reach heaven. But look more carefully at what preceded it: "Now the whole world had one language and a few words" (Genesis 11:1).

One language. One vocabulary. One way of thinking.

The sin of Babel wasn't just the height of the tower; it was the homogeneity of the people. They had unified under one voice, one narrative, one collective ego. They wanted a world where no one disagreed, where dissent was impossible, where they could reach "Godhood" through their own consensus.

God confused their languages not as a punishment, but as a mercy. Why? Because a world where everyone thinks exactly the same is a world where the Holy Spirit is no longer needed. The Spirit is always the voice calling us beyond ourselves, always inviting us to understand the "Other," always creating friction between our comfort and God's kingdom.

In 2026, we're rebuilding Babel. We're just using algorithms instead of bricks.

The Depth of "Imago Ego": Losing the Image in the Other

When we live in these digital silos, we begin to suffer from a spiritual sickness. We start to believe that our "feed" is the "world." We lose the Imago Dei the "Image of God"in our neighbor.

If someone thinks differently than me on my feed, the algorithm teaches me three things:

• "Cancel" them

• "Block" them

• "Mute" them

And the algorithm promises us that if we do, our anxiety will decrease, our certainty will increase, and we'll feel better. And it's right. We do feel better. That's what makes it so dangerous.

But here's what Scripture says: You cannot "mute" a brother or sister for whom Christ died. You cannot "block" someone who bears the divine spark. When we only love those who reflect us, we aren't practicing the love of Jesus; we are practicing Digital Narcissism.

Jesus said in Matthew 5:46, "If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that?"

In 2026, the tax collector has been replaced by the "follower." If you only love your followers, if you only engage with those who like your posts, if you only listen to voices that already agree with you, then you are not living the 20/26 Vision. You're just living the algorithm.

But let me be honest for a moment: I struggle with this too. I feel the pull of the silo. I notice myself seeking out voices that validate what I already believe. I have to consciously, repeatedly, choose to listen to someone who challenges me. This isn't a condemnation I'm issuing from on high. It's an invitation I'm extending from where I'm struggling too.