During this busy period of the Lunar New Year, some people would be queueing to get crispy new notes for their red packets. To encourage the use of fewer physical notes, banks like DBS or UOB have introduced QR e-Ang Bao. It seems that the demand for the e-Ang Bao is slowly picking up, and whether it will become popular with the majority or not depends on the people using it. However, this present generation still prefers to give out physical notes in red packets.
Long before the online social media came about, we had to look for a place to meet up with our friends or gather at someone’s house. But with the continued restriction on the number of people allowed to gather for social activities or religious worship because of Covid-19, the only alternative to gather virtually will only gain momentum. Zoom, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, and even TikTok already have a strong foothold in our daily social timetable.
I was recently reminded of Jesus’ words: “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal.” (Matthew 6:19-20)
But man, who had always wanted to outdo the Bible, came up with this – Non-Fungible Token (NFT). There is an article which tells us what NFT is all about and why it can be worth so much: https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-56371912
Whether NFT will remain is anybody’s guess, but many people have jumped on this virtual bandwagon.
Facebook has changed its company name to Meta since the end of last year. One of the reasons given was because it planned to build a “metaverse” – an online world where people can play games, work, and communicate in a virtual environment. Here is one explanation of metaverse – https://bernardmarr.com/what-is-the-metaverse-an-easy-explanation-for-anyone/
If we were to try and visualise a possible future reality where we become our own chosen avatar, we would be living in a virtual world and experiencing endless possibilities where there are no physical constraints. We might get to attend any worship service with the best worship song singers and sermon speakers. Would you consider that an attractive future?
Today, we are steadily moving away from a real and physical world whether we like it or not. Our future generations will face a different world from what we have now but let us hold God’s words dear to our hearts.
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” (Hebrew 10:23-25)
Jesus is sure to come!
Ps Frankie Koh
