Churchless Christianity: a Move of God?

Christianity has come a long way. It has had a most spectacular history of evolution. It's a religion that has always managed to mold itself according to the times and its power and reach continue unabated even into the 21st century. The modern times are marked by a tremendous proliferation of digital technologies. Human communications have been virtually redefined by the Internet and all the other advancements in digital communications. Christianity, rather than being intimidated by man's growing preoccupation with technology and the hectic nature of modern life, all of which leaves him with little time to practice his religion, has made a successful conversion within itself and has itself become ‘digitized', if one might say so. Let me explain.

Social media websites are among the most popular resources on the Internet today. Millions of people visit and use these sites on a daily basis. What makes these sites so popular is the fact they offer a great opportunity to connect to other people across geographical boundaries, join special interest groups, find like-minded men and women from all across the globe, to share and exchange views. Such online groups, often called as communities, encompass every possible interest group imaginable, and then some more. It is only natural to assume that there are quite a few online Christian community among them as well.

As men and women everywhere find themselves spending more time working at a computer, or more significantly, working online, the time and scope for doing all the usual chores in the physical world continue to diminish. Going to the church, sadly enough, has always been a low-priority job for many of us. Even if we wanted to, our busy schedules seldom permitted it. In this perspective, an online Christian community is fast emerging as the new church for the 21st century populace. Such communities are usually frequented by people for whom Christianity matters, albeit to varying degrees. It's the new church where people meet to discuss God, religion and other ecclesiastical matters. This is the new Christian Church of the 21st century, attracting believers (and non-believers) in thousands from every nook and corner of the Christian world and beyond! It's time to wake up to this new form of churchless Christianity where the mode of operation may have changed but the enthusiasm remains unshaken.