International (MNN) — Christians have held to a set of beliefs about Jesus for thousands of years. It can sometimes be difficult to reconcile this ancient faith with rapidly changing society or technology.
But Samuel of Redemptive Stories says the Middle Eastern Church’s embrace of new technologies like social media platforms should cause believers everywhere to rejoice. “Maybe sometimes we are afraid of it. At times, we look at it as a negative thing and at how it can negatively affect our lives. But on the flip side, there are so many positive outcomes of it. It’s just a neutral tool that can be used for God’s glory, and we’re seeing that happen in our part of the world in particular. If you look at certain stats, it would say that 1000’s have come to faith over the period of the pandemic, and in each one of these countries, through social media and internet.”
“That is something to praise God for and rejoice over.”
In some parts of the Middle East, Christians aren’t allowed to gather together very often. Samuel says social media has helped these communities continue to connect. “You have the secret believer issue that happens so often in Muslim cultures. People can’t openly go to church, particularly in the initial stage of their faith journey, and so they choose to follow the church through an online medium.”
(Header photo courtesy of ErikaWittlieb from Pixabay)
