Practically every technology that is ever invented is touted as

Hear the words of Michael Leunig, the poet and prophet of our age: “Practically every technology that is ever invented is touted as being the new savior, the thing that will bring peace and goodwill to the earth, but immediately it falls into other hands who see it as the opportunity to promote the very opposite.” In these words lies both sorrow and warning, for mankind has long sought salvation in its own creations, yet too often finds corruption in the very tools it fashions. The flame that warms can also burn; the plow that feeds can also destroy; the technology that promises peace can swiftly be twisted to war.

The origin of this wisdom is not in theory, but in the long witness of history. Each new invention has arrived with the hopes of humankind draped upon it, as if the mere forging of steel or the lighting of circuits could dissolve the darkness within men’s hearts. When the printing press was born, it was hailed as the harbinger of truth, a machine that would spread knowledge to all corners of the earth. And indeed it did—but it also spread falsehoods, propaganda, and hate, fueling wars of faith and brother against brother. Thus we learn: every gift is a double-edged blade, every savior a potential betrayer.

Consider also the age of the atom, when science split the smallest particle and declared a dawn of limitless energy. In that moment, visionaries dreamed of clean light for every home, power enough to banish poverty and darkness. Yet even as those words were spoken, others saw in the atom the power to end cities, to blacken skies, to hold nations hostage under the shadow of annihilation. Thus Hiroshima and Nagasaki bore witness to the truth of Leunig’s lament: that invention does not cleanse the human soul, but instead magnifies what already lies within it.

So too with our modern miracles. The internet, born as a web of connection, was hailed as the dawn of global understanding, where wisdom could be shared freely and nations would speak with one voice. And yet, into this vast net crept lies, division, cruelty, and exploitation. The same tool that unites also divides, the same voice that uplifts also deceives. What was promised as salvation became another battlefield of the human heart. This is the cycle Leunig speaks of: hope, corruption, disillusion.

Yet despair not, O seeker, for within this pattern lies not only tragedy but teaching. For the fault is not in the tools, but in the hands that wield them. A blade is not evil, but in the hand of a tyrant it oppresses, and in the hand of a surgeon it heals. A word is not vile, but in the mouth of the deceiver it wounds, and in the mouth of the teacher it enlightens. Technology is never the savior; only the soul of man can save or damn. Leunig calls us not to reject invention, but to awaken responsibility.

The lesson is clear: greet every new creation not with blind worship, but with discernment. Ask not only what a tool can do, but also what it can undo. When you hear promises of peace from technology, remember that peace comes not from machines, but from hearts that choose kindness. When you see the birth of a new invention, do not ask merely, “What can I gain from this?” but also, “What harm could this bring if left to greed or malice?” Such questions are the armor of wisdom, the guardians of humanity against its own shadows.

Practical action lies before you. Be a steward, not a slave, of technology. Use the tools of your age with purpose, not addiction. Build communities of truth in places where lies might spread. Support the use of invention for healing and justice, and resist its corruption for profit or power. And above all, remember: no tool will ever save the world if the hearts of its people are not turned toward goodness.

Thus let the words of Michael Leunig be etched in memory: do not seek salvation in the machine. Seek it in yourself, in your choices, in your care for others. Technology is the mirror of man’s soul—if the soul is pure, it brings light; if the soul is corrupt, it brings ruin. Therefore, tend to your soul, O child of time, and the inventions of your age shall serve not as false saviors, but as faithful companions in the eternal work of peace.