iPhone: sign of the Kingdom

I've become an iPhone snob. And not just because I can change it into a lightsaber for my nieces and nephews, or drink virtual beer from it. It's because I'm getting used to having the sum total of human knowledge in my pocket at any given moment. And if you have an iPhone, or even just a Blackberry, you know that's not a joke.

Which is why I've been pondering the milestone we probably crossed on January 1 without even noticing. According to the United Nations International Telecommunications Union the number of cell phone subscribers was supposed to hit the 4 billion mark then. That works out to about one cell phone for every 1.7 people on the planet. Last year there were 3 billion. Those Who Understand Such Things (i.e. the Washington Post) say that it is the fastest spreading technology in human history. Faster than fire. Or pointy sticks. Or poking a hole in the ground and dropping a seed in to grow stuff.

So what happens when virtually every human being on the planet is carrying the sum total of human knowledge in their pocket? And an instant connection to every other human being?

Seriously.

It's coming. And not even in a generation. Maybe next year. Or the year after.

This isn't about the technology anymore. It's about who we become. Try to imagine how pointy sticks changed how we thought about ourselves. Or how farming changed how we thought about the world. It's like that. Only it's happening in 5 years, not 5 thousand.

What is Christianity in a world where everyone is literally interconnected? How do we live it? How do we preach it? And I have a feeling those are just the beginnings of the questions. And maybe not even the most important.

It seems that humanity is going through a change like very few in all of human history. And we're not really paying attention. We need to do some serious pondering about this one.

Seriously.