Daily (Shakespearean) Digital Life Litany for Protection, Direction and Stewardship

Caveat emptier: This post was drafted with help from an AI assistant (Perplexity)— but ideated and edited extensively by the human, Bill Acton.

One of about a dozen that will be appearing on the blog, including Evangelical, Anglican,Unitarian, Orthodox, Shinto, Aboriginal, Hip hop, Gregorian, Dawkins meets Ojibwe wisdom, Hindu, and Klingon! These were all created to be experienced as read aloud, not to be simply read silently. The twin purposes for the project are to (a) provide at least a framework for a daily time of preparation, in the form of prayer or a meditation, and (b) more interestingly, to observe how AI navigates the the intersection of faith, prayer and AI!

Clker.com

 

O Thou unseen Watcher of the ways of men,

whose eye beholdeth both the secret thought

and every work that walketh in the sun,

incline Thine ear unto this my suit.

Lo, a great web is cast across the world,

of wires, lights, and voices without number.

Through it my dealings, words, and likeness fly,

swifter than any steed of flesh could run.

Morning Invocation

Before I touch these glowing glass and steel,

before I enter that vast, unseen hall

where all men meet but none do see each other's face,

I do remember: I am Thine, not theirs.

Let not the clamour of the digital throng

drown out Thy still, small voice within my heart.

Guard Thou my tongue in every message writ,

my eye from vanity and poisoned sights,

my time from wasteful chasing after wind,

my name and reputation from the thief.

The Digital Realm and Its Perils

What danger lurketh in the shadowed corners

of this new world! Identity and gold

may both be stolen by a cunning knave

who never showeth face nor draweth sword.

Therefore, I am grateful for the watch—

for tools like IDShield, which stand as sentries,

alert to threat, and ready to restore

what villainy hath taken from mine house.

And grateful, too, for counsel in the law—

for LegalShield and advocates who serve

the widow, orphan, and the common man

with fairness, wisdom, and accessibility.

Help me to use these aids with stewardship,

not fearfulness, but prudence and clear sight.

Midday Reflection

Now in the thick of this day's digital toil,

I pause to ask: Whom do I serve?

Do I spend hours upon the endless scroll,

as one bewitched, unable to look away?

Or do I rule my tools, and not they me?

Remind me, Lord, to unplug, to walk abroad,

to speak to living souls with living voice,

to rest mine eyes upon Thy handiwork—

the tree, the cloud, the faces of my kin.

Evening Examination

Now doth the day draw on toward gentle night.

I lay aside my phone, my glowing screen,

and ask Thee, Lord: How did I fare today?

Where I spoke truth and kindness, thanks be Thine.

Where I did waste the hours Thou gavest me,

or let mine eyes and heart go wandering,

forgive, and grant me strength to mend tomorrow.

For every deed is writ in heaven's book,

and every careless word shall be accounted for.

Yet Thou art merciful, and where I stumbled,

Thou dost not leave me lying in the dust.

Thou liftest up the fallen, healest the broken,

and where a thing is lost, Thou helpest me restore it.

Where harm was done, give strength to mend.

Then, as I lay my devices to their rest,

grant that my mind may also gently still,

unplugged from all the clamour of the day,

yet not from kindness, wisdom, truth, or love.

So may I rise, when dawn returns again,

not servant to this vast enchanted web,

but master of my tools and of myself.

Amen.

wracton@gmail.com

The two "shout outs" in the litany are intended as general essentials, not specific endorsements of Legalshield and IDShield systems, which I am associated with.

williamacton.legalshieldassociate.com