Altars in Plain Sight

I found an old paper proposal with my university email on it. “Religion in the 21st Century.” It ends on a note to myself that says, “Explain all 3 criteria.” It was a sketch, not a paper. The premise still holds. Religion is the outward shape of inner conviction. It helps you face what will not shrink to fit a neat answer. I looked up from that line at my calendar, my commits, my dashboards. The altars changed. The worship stayed.

I learned how to spot religion. Texts. Rituals. Choir. Authority. At its best, it gives language for grief and awe. At its worst, it launders harm. I was told the world outside that room was neutral. It is not. We just changed the vestments.

Look at a week in tech. Stand-up, planning, retro, launch. Metrics on the hour. All ritual. The calendar moved from holy days to ship dates. The sacrament became a dashboard. The offering is attention and data. We call this progress. It is also faith.