Connectivity

In just over three weeks recently, family members were travelling separately outside Singapore, myself included.  My wife was the first to travel to Thailand with some oikos members (for shopping).  It was followed by me, accompanying students to Suzhou, China on an immersion trip and then my elder daughter to New York for a research-cum-exchange programme with her school peers.  Travelling has never been made more convenient with the advent of modern air transportation.  My younger daughter would also be travelling in the later half of the year, possibly to Denmark, yet on another school programme. 

When I was a student, there was hardly any overseas learning journey, except maybe to Pulau Ubin for Outward Bound.  Children nowadays are very fortunate with subsidies provided by MOE to encourage cross-cultural learning and exchanges.  There is nothing like learning first hand what takes place in a certain country rather than reading them from books or over the net.  For learning to be rich and beneficial, it entails a lot of planning by educators concerned.  Paramount, of course, is the safety and security of all who goes on such trips. 

During the time of the early apostles, travelling to distant places was done through sailing on ships.  It may take days or weeks to reach a certain place, depending on the weather.  Shipwrecks were not uncommon in those days.  The apostle Paul mentioned that he suffered shipwreck three times (2 Cor 11:25).  What a way to travel!  But that was the price he had to pay to bring the gospel to distant lands in obedience to God's call.  Missonary work nowadays is less costly to personal lives where travelling is concerned.  My wife just returned from preaching at a church in Tg Balai, all within the span of a day. 

The Bible alludes to this modern day connectivity in Daniel 12:4, "... many will go back and forth, and knowledge will increase."  What is common to birds and angels, is now common to mankind - flight - when the law of aerodynamics was discovered.  Air travel has certainly spawn trade and tourism, with governments building bigger airports to cater for its growing demand.   Connectivity has made the world more cosmopolitan, with people from different nationalities residing in most major cities.  What this means is that cultural practices are also being transplanted across the globe.  The gospel has to address both growing religious entities as well as secularism at the same time. 

Beyond the physical connectivity, as believers in the Lord, we should relish in our spiritual connectivity with the Father.  Prayer is the means to such connection and it goes beyond geographical boundaries.  Daniel's prayer despatches the angel Gabriel (Dan 9:20-23) and the archangel Michael (Dan 10:12-13) into action.  It is through prayers that we will see the people turning Godwards.  We need to do the needful in presenting the gospel but the Holy Spirit does the converting.  We must continue to affirm that salvation belongs to God (Rev 19:2) and that He alone can cause the coldest hearts to find His love and everlasting peace.