Soul Care and Artificial Intelligence

Using Machines for the Benefit of Our Souls

Photo by Possessed Photography on Unsplash

I don’t know where you are with AI (Artificial Intelligence). Until this past weekend, I did not know where I, was regarding AI and my hesitation to dive in and try it out.  I’m still trying to figure it out—how comfortable I am in using a machine to help me care for my soul.

I’ve been curious about AI and wondering how AI could become a useful, even a mainstay way for us to use its power and ability. I have been skeptical regarding AI primarily because of my commitment to creativity but also fearful of AI infringing on intellectual rights and copyright issues.

Last weekend, some friends gathered for a time of fun in the sun. But on our first morning together, we were all sitting on a screen porch at the coast, and someone asked the question: “Have you tried AI yet?” None of us had—and so my friend said, “Let me show you a few things I’ve played around with.” And here I go—jumping into AI and ready to see what “it” could do.

We were startled.

We were fascinated.

We were humbled.

We were shocked.

We were laughing.

We were nervous.

To begin with, our little group of friends asked something simple of AI. “Please write a limerick, a witty, non-sense kind of poem in five lines about each person in this circle”. We asked AI to make a limerick about each of us when the friend typed in a few facts in the space provided by AI about each one sitting on the porch.

Jaw dropping and amazing! We were all laughing out loud at the accurate assessment of each one that AI wrote about. Then the laughing subsided. We all got pensive wondering what it could really do; what kind of information could it draw on?

We asked AI to research the golf handicap of two of our golfing friends. Nothing came back.

We asked AI medical questions about one of the group. Nothing came back.

We asked financial questions about a group member. Nothing came back.

That was all a relief…sort of.

Soul Care and Artificial Intelligence

Then I said, “Let me try this…” and I asked AI to write a 3-minute devotional on caring for the soul and the contemplative life; quote three authors: Dallas Willard, Julian of Norwich and myself, Stephen W. Smith and add discussion questions.” I wanted to see if AI could integrate and synthesize three different voices living in different times and space—but all published authors.

I did not ask AI to write a prayer—but it did. I suppose AI can pray??? You be the judge…

Here’s the result of what AI did.  This is 3 minute devotional that AI put together with no edits by me:

Let’s take a few quiet moments to reflect on the contemplative life, drawing from the wisdom of Julian of Norwich, Dallas Willard, and Stephen W. Smith.

**Julian of Norwich** teaches us the beauty of resting in God’s love, no matter our circumstances. In her well-known words, “All shall be well, and all shall be well, and all manner of thing shall be well,” we find the invitation to trust. Julian's contemplative life was one of deep attentiveness to God's presence, particularly in times of suffering. For her, contemplation wasn't an escape from the world, but a way of seeing the world with new eyes—seeing it as held in God’s care. She reminds us to dwell in that assurance.

**Dallas Willard**, a modern thinker on spiritual formation, urges us to engage in what he calls "the discipline of slowing." In a world driven by speed and productivity, Willard encourages us to embrace the contemplative life through the practice of simply slowing down to be with God. He writes, “Hurry is the great enemy of spiritual life in our day.” In stillness, we create space for the Spirit to shape and renew us. Through prayer, solitude, and silence, we become aware of God in the present moment. Willard's wisdom guides us to consider: What am I rushing through that God may want me to experience?

**Stephen W. Smith**, in his reflections on spiritual life, talks about the importance of "soul care." For Smith, contemplation is about nourishing the soul and being intentional about creating rhythms of grace. His words remind us that contemplation is not just for monks or mystics but for everyday disciples. He says, “We need to learn how to walk slowly through the crowd,” taking time to truly be present—with God, with others, and with ourselves.

### A Moment of Reflection:

As we pause in this moment, let's reflect on these questions:

- How can I, like Julian, trust that “all shall be well” in my life, even in times of uncertainty?

- Where might I need to slow down and listen more deeply for God's voice, as Dallas Willard suggests?

- Am I creating space in my life for the soul care that Steven W. Smith encourages—time to simply be with God and rest?

Let’s pray:

*God of stillness and presence, teach us to embrace the contemplative life. Help us to slow down, to trust in your goodness, and to care for our souls. May we walk in the quiet confidence that you are with us in every moment, in every breath. Amen.*

________

When we read this AI devotional, I said, “I could not have done any better than AI.” What do you think of this 3 minute AI devotional? What stirs up in you as you realize a machine wrote something pretty siginficant about the soul.

AI got me to thinking and to consider a few things that I’d like to share with you.

I do think there are many questions for us to consider in the use of AI for those of us who are pastors, priest, counselors and spiritual directors:

-What role does intuition have in AI generated sermons, studies and devotionals?

-Who will care if pastors and teachers use AI in their work in sermons and lessons? I know universities have software to check if AI is used in a students research. But will anyone in the pew really care?

-What is the role of the Spirit—in using AI in our work?

-How does a machine and Spirit interface and work together—can they? Is one violated by the other?

-What is the role of preachers and teachers who quickly turn to AI for help rather than using their own experience, creativity, scholarship, education and training?

-Will preachers still have jobs if AI can write better sermons than some of us?

Caring for the soul involves caring for what is you—all of you. Emotions, relationships, vocations, physcial and spiritual dimensions are all integrated into the human soul. To care for the soul, we have been trained to use ancient and proven ways, such as spiritual disciplines of silence, solitude, prayer, lectio divina and more to benefit, care for and help the soul get healthy and stay healthy. So, the question to sit with is: How can machines now help us do this or can machines be used in what is spiritual, experiential, soulish and heavenly?

I wonder what you think about the AI generated devotion. Leave your thoughts so we can all get some perspective. Leave a word or two about your own use of AI in your work.

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Becoming Present to ourselves and to God:

A New Opportunity!

One of the aspects that we most need these days is a sense of presence. When we move fast, live fast and eat fast, we cannot give attention to what is happening around us and in us. Moving at the speed of a hamster wheel, everything feels spinning and it is in this sense of spinning that we fall into despair and hopelessness. There is a life amidst all this blurriness and whitewater. If only we might find it.

One of the gifts of reading—whether it is poetry,articles or books, we are forced to enter slow time—a time where the heart has time to catch up with our bodies. In this space of slowing, we feel our breath, sense our hearts and honor our souls. We preserve our humanity when we are intentional and resist a culture that shapes us into being machines and sponges of breaking news.

One of the ways we learn to de-stress our lives is by getting into sync with a few other people who want more than what fast living offers us.

We become focused.

We allow the muddied waters within us to settle so we can have clarity.

We care for ourselves by feeding our souls which seem starved for some quiet and open space.

We do not have to do this alone.

These are some of the reasons that I wanted to invite you to consider a brand new opportunity called the 3C Group! This 90 minutes a month of gathering in a Zoom online cohort with a few others will give us space to become still; gain clarity for our own lives and rub against some shoulders (albeit, they will be virtual shoulders) and get some perspective that may enlarge our own.

We will use one or two poems for each session which invite us to see with the eyes of our heart and to listen with the ears of our souls. It’s the deep wisdom that we most need in order to live well in turbulent times. And this is a wisdom that is shared in some provocative poems that can inspire us!

Here’s your last invitation from me to join the 3c Group. At present, there are five spaces. One of them could be yours! All the details are on the website using this link:

Here's the link to read more and register: CLICK HERE