Looking forward to 2012

Another New Year has come by filled with hope and aspirations of a bright future and prosperity, but it has underlying tremors of fear and uncertainty with global economic trends in the downward swing, violence and rage on the rise and the global environment going topsy-turvy. People are apprehensive of making any outright positive predictions, but can only hope for the best to happen. The world has witnessed tremendous changes in the last one year, with many dictators and autocrats bidding adieu to the world stage either being thrown out of power or even out of their very own lives by the very people who they were claiming to protect. People want power and a say in the decision making process, they no longer want to be mute spectators to the things that directly affects their life. Leaders who promised change are not able to deliver on it be it president Obama or our own Mamata didi, making a u turn on the very things that they promised to change and ending up eating their own words.

The defining feature of 2011 was the power of media and social networking in voicing the opinion of the masses, even if it was at times manipulated by the corporate houses to boost the TRP ratings yet there is no denying the fact that the power and freedom to express ones opinion is unparalleled in time and history right now than ever before. Information is like a dam bursting at the seams, leaking from every pore and flooding every nook and corner of the world. The old order of high control with the top down approach and information limited to the few has gone. The time has come to share leadership being transparent and open and being accountable for every action. Every aspect of the life of rich and powerful, high and mighty is subject to intense scrutiny of the prying eyes of the media that it is almost impossible to escape its glare.

In this kind of a scenario what is in store for us as believers? Well, the greatest advantage and greatest gift to the church in 2012 will be the social networking sites, the technology and media which will be in the forefront of missions in taking the gospel to the young and educated global audience and also in accelerating the process of reaching to the ends of the world by the end of this decade, the key is in harnessing it but the sad part is that the church is still in the initial stages of just figuring it out. Another feature will be, as the hate and intolerance rises, with fundamentalism eating into the very fabric of the society it is logical to expect an increase in persecution towards the church. Meanwhile the church itself is going through a metamorphosis, from being separate and distinct from the world and its patterns to being more and more identified and conformed to the world with the ever increasing and popular health, wealth and prosperity theology attracting the masses into the mega churches led by an extremely charismatic and talented leader who can sway the masses into a frenzied delirium, twisting the word of God to match their actions and life style. This conformity and proximity to the world and its standards might in some way keep the mega churches, mainline churches (already in a state of decay) and mission agencies in big cities and towns away from the direct heat of being persecuted but the brunt of it will be borne by the small independent churches and mission agencies and workers involved in front line missions far away from the glare of city lights with no back up and protective mechanisms to hear their cry. But their pain and suffering will definitely bear fruits in hundreds of churches being established and the kingdom of God being extended further. Let us pray that God will revive and wake us up, let us strengthen the things that remain and be on our knees earnestly interceding for the church.