And so I tell you, Peter: you are a rock, and on this rock foundation I will build my church, and not even death will ever be able to overcome it. Matthew 16:18, GNT

 

Many people believe the church has become obsolete and that at the end of this century the church and the Christian faith will not exist anymore. Children who are born now may be the last generation to experience the church as we know it. Others believe that there will still be people who believe in God, but in a totally different way than people do today. Some people say that children should not be exposed to any form of religion before they are old enough to decide if it will interest them.

 

A month or so ago, I read an article by Mart-Marié Uys on Netwerk24. She wrote about the phenomenon of people sharing their deepest emotions with an algorithm by chatting to a chatbot. Artificial intelligence seems to be the new psychiatrists. In other articles about this subject, it is becoming more and more clear that a staggering number of people do this.

 

What it comes down to is that we live in a very volatile society. With the impact of Covid-19, the different wars that have an influence on all of us and a world that is drowning in materialism, people are trying to find something that will enable them to cope with everything. Some talk to chatbots and others use drugs or chase after material possessions. There are, however, those who turn to religion.

 

Let us take Sweden as an example. After the horror of the Second World War, most Swedes turned their back on religion and church attendance slumped to 5%. However, church attendance has increased in the last four years and many groups of young people are coming together to share their views on religion.

 

It seems as if the tide is turning and the words of Jesus that not even death will ever be able to overcome the church are still as true as when he said them. The church will surely not be the same in 2126 as it is today. You and I have a great responsibility to live for and talk about God to ensure that the church will be just as strong, and even stronger a hundred years from now as it has been the past two thousand years.

 

Prayer: Thank you Lord, that we can be sure that the church is not a will-o'-the-wisp, but that it is standing on the rock of your promise that even death will not overcome it. Amen