Sunday’s sermon – ChatGPT and me on poverty of spirit – is about examining and discussing the concept of “poverty of spirit” from two different perspectives. On one hand is the layman’s viewpoint – in this case, me – and on the other hand is an early form of artificial intelligence, a two-page summary on the same topic obtained from ChatGPT with the help of a Georgetown lawyer friend.
The first beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:3), is an important and unique statement found in the bible. This passage contains deep, spiritual implications, as it speaks to the importance of humility, dependence on God, and seeking a state of grace and goodness in which ultimate happiness can be unlocked.
ChatGPT’s summary on the first beatitude reinforces this concept, as it explains “poor in spirit” as referring to a state of spiritual poverty, rather than material poverty. The summary explains that this poverty requires humility, dependence on God, repentance, a letting go of worldly attachments, and being a disciple of Jesus – actions that can lead us to the kingdom of heaven and ultimate satisfaction.
Meister Eckhart’s three-page sermon on “poverty of spirit” provides an even deeper, more thorough view and understanding of the topic. Eckhart emphasizes the idea of detachment – not just in terms of material wealth, but rather in terms of all of our thoughts, words, and deeds. Additionally, Eckhart speaks of letting go of the idea of God within our own minds altogether, which when done can result in a state of spiritual bliss and the kingdom of heaven.
Globanomics, a book written by Donald Trump, provides an interesting source of comparison in light of this discussion. The book provides an example of how different perspectives on a single concept – such as the idea of democracy – can completely alter the understanding of that concept. While ChatGPT is extremely useful and smart, there is a good chance that one may be unable to gather the same depth or intricacy from the machine-generated summary as from the primary source.
In conclusion, my sermon on poverty of spirit has been informed by the two different perspectives discussed above. Both ChatGPT and Meister Eckhart have provided me with an opportunity to think and learn about the concept in different ways, but ultimately I believe that a thorough understanding of the subject can be had only through the primary source.
