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And the "Word" became digital


Yes, there is a play of word in the title (thanks to John the Apostle). But have you observed lately how everything is going digital? To set things straight, I am not an anti-digital person but more of a fence sitter when it comes to going digital. However, I am not a fence sitter who abstains from the benefits of the digital world, I do engage in it (maybe at times too actively). But I think I am not an inhabitant of this world, because thanks to slow development, my current world is still yet to embrace the full digital world though there are signs that things are going the digital way. It is becoming more convenient to use cards or a payment app to do payment in the big stores and also in the small roadside store. Sending money to someone has become more convenient and the chance of being hoodwinked has also become easier. I do not visit the bank anymore to update my passbook with the little amount in the account; everything is almost at the fingertips. Yes, we are moving into the digital age and COVID-19 proved to be an effective push towards embracing the digital world. Perhaps the best expression of the digital world today is the social media platforms, the creation of an online world full of exciting possibilities and full of destructive potentials. 

Among the many things that have taken a digital form, the Good Old Book is one. With this turn it is now much more accessible to anyone with a smartphone and a decent internet connectivity. However, this ease of access seems to belie the reality of how much it is actually accessed. My own phone reminds me with a verse of the day regularly but the real question is how much more do I go beyond reading that verse of the day? The Bible app as convenient as it is, is lost among many other competing forces that seems more appealing, engaging and relevant. The irony, can you see it? 

Some years ago, I was privileged to be part of a seminar that, as we might put it, was quite "old fashioned." "Why?" you ask? Well you see there were no flashy power points, no digital resources, no laptops but colouring pens and pencils, charts, blank papers, white boards and markers; everything about this seminar was manual. Not really a big significant thing I guess, but in a world where everything is becoming more digitally flavoured, here we were going back to the basics. And I think there is something beautiful about it; something beautiful about making our own charts rather than just select a template; tedious work but rewarding. Of the two scores of my life, two decades were spent in the last century and it was a common sight to see church-goers young and old walking along with a Bible in hand and also a song book. This is a sight that I think is getting phased out; we still walk to the church but mostly with our phones in our hands or pockets. I guess I am just an old timer who misses the sight of Bibles in hands on a Sunday morning, though this is not entirely absent as of now.

No, I am not against technology that aid us in the many ways it can, and help lighten our workload a little. But when it comes to the Good Old Book I have a fear that anyone can google it, but when handed an actual copy, not everyone will know where to look for it much less find it. I wonder even as technology gets smarter, are we going the other direction? There is much valid excitement about how technology can assist in the spread of the message but it is no guarantee that it will be appropriated. But then to be fair, having a hard copy in our hands also does not guarantee that the message is read and meditated upon. Whether it is in print format or a digital format, reading through it will largely depend on our conscious decision. However, there is one truth, in the hard copy, there are no other competing voices and it offers you the all the space to wander deep within its richness. Maybe in the near future, when digital innovations become the norm of the day, I hope we will have learned to overcome the distractions that assault us. But then ironically, I rant on the very digital platform I am concerned about and maybe it is best I stop here for the moment. Off to sign out and pick up a book. Cheerio!

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