The world’s definition of development is along the lines of technological advancement and economic growth and the building of infrastructure. Gudina saw human development very differently from what many people call “development”, this can be accredited to his deep love for the Gospel. As defined by him, human development is, “In our opinion, an integral human development, where spiritual and material needs are seen together, is the only right approach to the development question in our society.” (Witness and Discipleship Pg.123). Gudina Tumsa knew and understood that there was more to development than technology. He understood that human development was not one dimensional, rather many dimensions are needed to develop a positive society such as: the spiritual, economic, technological aspects. He believed unless individuals were developed in an integral manner, society as a whole would have to face the consequences of imbalance growth. Gudina perfectly wrote that there is more to technological advancement when he states “That they are values in life beyond those of modern technology in economic betterment, without which commands development will never be meaningful and lasting.” (Witness and Discipleship Pg.88)
In order to understand why Gudina believed there was more to human development we must understand who he was. Gudina Tumsa was a man who chose to become a minister to the Lord over receiving an education in the medical field. Gudina was a man who believed that God’s calling was of utmost importance and the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ trumped everything else as is evident when Paul E. Hoffmann describes him saying “Preaching the Good News that Jesus Christ is Lord always had for Gudina, as I came to know him, the highest priority.” (Life and Ministry Pg.15). This being said, we also must understand that Gudina Tumsa was not a fanatic who spiritualized everything, he was not against technological and economic advancement as can be seen in his writing, “We know that we need more of modern technology. We need more equipment and know-how to use it.” (Witness and Discipleship Pg.88). In order to understand this we must refocus on the source of Gudina’s theology, which is holistic. His holistic view created a balance in him that he wanted to see in all humans. Gudina believed and wrote that overall integral human development was not only beneficial to humans but to all the creatures of the earth. “That man is not only the suffering creature who needs help, but that he is the most important development agent”, (Witness and Discipleship Pg.88). Which not only mirrors but is derived from Romans 8:19 “For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed”. From his writings it is obvious that Gudina was a supporter and advocate for human development, but not in a traditional way. In a unique way, which he writes about, “We therefore see the development of the inner man as a pre-requisite for a healthy and lasting development of our society.” (Witness and Discipleship Pg.89)
The development occurring in the present day is extremely fascinating, as new developments such as artificial intelligence, the internet, mobile phones, self-driving cars, etc… are becoming integral parts to daily life. This has led people to call the present age the information age, an era of extreme advancement. This advancement is leading many to claim that society is as developed as it has ever been, but Gudina Tumsa would differ in his opinion this is seen when he writes, “Looking at the so-called developed societies we realize that in the midst of their affluence man is still suffering from all kinds of evil.” (Witness and Discipleship Pg.89). Although society is developing at an unprecedented pace, many people are beginning to fear what the power of development is doing to society, as global phenomena such as climate change, pandemics, economic crises and moral perversions are becoming recurrent. Gudina Tumsa can be seen predicting this when he writes, “True, man can organize the world apart from God, but without God we can organize it, in the end, only against man.” (Witness and Discipleship Pg.89. It is not an exaggeration to say that these words from Gudina are a prophetic utterance, an example of this is the fear many people have of robots replacing them in their jobs, risks of nuclear and biological warfare and extreme natural disasters. Society has developed itself without God and now it is facing the consequences for its imbalance growth. Gudina found himself with one conclusion to fix this problem and that is to turn to the creator of the creation we are abusing.