Clergy Corner: January 2026

Happy New Year! We have entered 2026 with a sense of expectation. Yet, King Solomon—who enjoyed unparalleled wealth and glory—offers a sobering perspective: “There is nothing new under the sun” (Ecclesiastes 1:9).

Does it make sense today? In this era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, technology like AI and robotics evolves at a staggering pace, fundamentally changing how we live. New art is created, and the market is flooded with fancy gadgets. Why, then, did Solomon claim nothing is truly new?

A recent headline in The Fig Tree caught my eye: “Ancestral Intelligence is first AI.” This profound insight is attributed to Jeff Ferguson, a Spokane Tribe member and environmental activist. Our world currently groans under hyper-consumerism, viewing nature simply as a tool for consumption. In contrast, indigenous communities lived with the wisdom of “Ancestral Intelligence.” They did not just take from the land; they practiced self-restraint and restoration. In this sense, “Ancestral Intelligence” is the true “leading AI”—a witty but piercing point.

Today, the world is in upheaval because of Artificial Intelligence. High-skilled professionals face job insecurity, and many use tools like ChatGPT or Google Gemini with a mix of awe and anxiety, unable to imagine what the future holds.

What would Solomon say about these incredible changes? To him, there would still be “nothing new under the sun.” Why? Because his insight was that true “newness” is impossible within a human life governed by finite, self-centered desires. AI is no different. It is trained on data accumulated from self-centered human thoughts and experiences. No matter how remarkable its output, it is fundamentally an extension of the old, not something “new.”

Therefore, as children of God, we need to use AI, but must not rely solely on the efficiency of AI. True wisdom and newness can only come from the Creator, who declares: “I am making everything new” (Revelation 21:5). Only the Creator can bring forth a new creation and restore souls decaying under the weight of the world.

Many today suffer from internal wounds—guilt, emptiness, and resentment. Zacchaeus, the tax collector in Luke 19, was no different. He had accumulated great wealth but lived in agony, burdened by condemnation. When he heard of Jesus—the one who gave new life to sinners—a spark of hope ignited: “If I meet this man, perhaps my life can be made new.”

His thirst for transformation led him to climb a sycamore tree. When Jesus looked up and said, “I must stay at your house today,” Zacchaeus knew he was forgiven. The joy of this new life was so overwhelming that he pledged to give half his possessions to the poor. Jesus proclaimed, “Today salvation has come to this house.”

That is right. True newness is obtained not from fancy new products or new jobs, or the dazzling knowledge of AI, but only from the living and enduring word of God, who entirely renews our souls and lives and grants true righteousness and freedom.

In 2026, do you truly desire a new life? I pray that you—like Zacchaeus—will earnestly seek Jesus, the Creator who makes all things new. May you enjoy a blessed NEW year filled with the true renewal of your soul!!