When the Lord passed by my life, I was casting into the digital net. And when he said “ Come, follow me ” (Mt. 4:19). I went and followed...
Because of Computer Engineering, my head was wired with data, circuits, and codes. Then I was called. The deciphering of codes to make a computer software work was converted into deciphering the code that Jesus left to make heaven on earth unfold. For many years I have wondered why of all the bastards out there, I was called. And at the same time, He gave me the opportunity to navigate, investigate, dominate the digital continent. Later that I realized that God called me to proclaim the Word through the digital continent; to encode in my heart the digital numbers 0 and 1: ZERO other God and the ONE and only command: “Love one another as I have loved you” (Jn 13:34); to continue fishing men and women citizens of the digital continent.
We can be missionaries in cyberspace and not just in the real world. It is a frontier that is vast and unfathomed. We can make use of the cyber-world as a tool to make the Lord God KNOWN by all. And through it, invite others to know him more: share the Daily Gospel, share the story of the chosen People of God, share the love story of God and his people. Make use of the network to build networks of faith and decrypt the true and hidden message of the Word.
We can show our love and be Missionaries of the merciful and loving God by spreading love and promoting peace in the social network and overcome cyberbullying. We can inspire people to circulate the antivirus of hate through videos, graphics, and music. We can be mediator between the LOVE of God and his people through the digital continent. But of course, always with precautions and prudence. The Church invites us to be present in this “new continent” and also warns us of its illusions and traps (cf. LS 47).
Well, we got used to the old and conventional way of doing mission: to go out and meet people, be physically seen, preach to people and convert the faithful, and be seen doing a lot of action, facing all the dangers in the frontiers. I believe that it is time to upgrade our operating system that to be a missionary is just limited in that version. "Throw your net on the other side of the boat!" We too can SERVE God and his people, we can be Servants of the Word, missionaries in the digital continent, even just by sitting in front of the computer or by using our mobile phones. After all, both conventional and the digital missioning has the same goal which the song “The Mission” by Steve Green perfectly summarizes: “To love the Lord our God is the heartbeat of our mission, the spring from which our service overflows. Across the street or around the world,” and I add, even in the digital continent, “the mission’s still the same: Proclaim and live the Truth in Jesus’ name.”
As servants of the Word, we feel called to search for the signs of God in the digital world, to share our experience of the Gospel in new communication codes and to combat the viruses of manipulation, superficiality and depersonalization. What a revolution Claret would have encouraged if he had the possibilities offered today by these new technologies! (cf. MFL 2j) (MS 18)
May the Lord be praised and others be encouraged to PRAISE Him in and through the fiber optics. Be a Servant of the Word. Share the Word and be missionaries in the cyber continent. The DNS and gateways are always open for all!
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