Indians living on the southern edge of Brazil's Amazon rainforest plan to start selling ringtones of traditional chants like 'the hunt song' and 'the healing dance' to cell phone users in China and Europe. (Joel Rodrigues-Ag/Reuters)In 1901, in an interview with the New York Herald, Mary Baker Eddy was asked about what she felt about modern material inventions. Her response is written in the book, The First Church of Christ, scientist and Miscellany ( p. 345)
"Oh, we cannot oppose them. They all tend to newer, finer, more etherealized ways of living. They seek the finer essences. They light the way to the Church of Christ. We use them, we make them our figures of speech. They are preparing the way for us."
I loved that she recognized the fact that inventions lead to "more etherealized" ways of living - less materialistic and more spiritual or heavenly. And sure enough technology is doing all that. It is erasing national borders, adding to our store of knowledge about the world and makes various perspectives from the man on the street to around the world available at our fingertips.
For example, cell phone ring tones are now available that sing out primitive chants -- love it -- Time Magazine's top winner of the 2006 Best Inventions is youtube.com - an online community media share that is "on a scale we've never seen before." And in my own life, I have found it matters very little where my patients come from - we can talk or email via computer, and I can treat them from anywhere in the world.
So back to Mary Baker Eddy's statement on how modern material inventions can light the way to the Church of Christ..... it is an interesting concept.
Research from the Barna Group indicate that more people are finding spirituality via online and this is expected to grow. In addition, there are reports that show a rise in the number of small home churches and in spirituality being actively practiced and encouraged in the workplace.
Some lesser known research with LifeWay indicates a decline in church attendance in traditional churches for two main reason: 36% said they were too busy to attend church and 46% said they left church due to perceived hypocrisy, harsh criticisms and cliques.
So how might innovation and creativity lead us on in our quest for spirituality and meaning?
We're experiencing the online spirituality now! An example: I am preparing to co-lead a church service that is advertised online and given via conference call (See csinteractivechurch.com). I realize that those who are far from a church building, those who are home bound and those who want to check out this church anonymously can now do so, whereas before that wasn't possible. This kind of thing is happening all over. And the fact that you are reading this right now, and can look over at the wide variety of links that I have shared on the right - all pointing to spiritual perspectives on all fronts -- this is another example.
In the article "Christian Science" from the book Miscellaneous Writings, MB Eddy writes,
"This age is reaching out towards the perfect Principle of things; is pushing towards perfection in art, invention and manufacture. Why then should religion be stereotyped, and we not obtain a more perfect and practical Christianity?"
Hmmmm....hmmm.....and hmmmm...... Modern inventions leading to church, church itself being renewed, redesigned and redefined into homes and workplaces, religion not stereotyped, a more perfect and practical Christianity ...... much to think about. So what are your thoughts?
To share your thoughts on this or to explore this idea further, please feel free to be in contact with me, add your own comments below, email this article to a friend, or add to the healing finds and sites on the web to the right.
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