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Celtic Pilgrimage in Cyber Space
Introduction
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. But what did he bring forth from the chaos? Was it an ordered clockwork universe or a dynamic act of creation within which we can only find peace through a relationship with the Creator? Change, even when it is growth, can make individuals feel very insecure. It is widely reported that cultural change, on a global scale, such as the UK has experienced even within the last fifty (sixty - I'm getting older - ed) years has left many people feeling threatened, isolated and lost. Despite the undeniable improvements in the material quality of life enjoyed by most people within the UK, there are many who find themselves lost in a moral and spiritual wilderness.
One response to cultural change is to try and conserve or rebuild that which is under threat. Going back to my original analogy and question, do we try to preserve and repair the clock? Another approach is to encounter the wilderness and find peace in chaos, rather than making chaos into order. Following the example of the African desert fathers or Scottish and Irish monks we can seek out wilderness places expecting to meet with God there. Success in this approach is not achieved by taming the wilderness, or through preserving the way of life which shaped us. Instead, the pilgrim disconnects themselves from what is familiar and hopes to find peace through the experience of encountering what is unfamiliar and perhaps a little unsettling. So, where are the wildernesses and desert places in our environment today?
One of the major ingredients, and symbols, of cultural change in recent years is the internet and World Wide Web. In twenty years it has gone from being a hard to access minority interest to an everyday essential for many people which they can access through a device smaller than a tobacco tin. During this time a good tobacco tin has also become very hard to find. Despite the internet being largely an application of what is called “information and communication technology”, it is often blamed for spreading misinformation and the breakdown of real communication. It seems to be that the internet, or cyberspace, is very much like a wilderness in social terms.
And this...
...is actually a blog. Or more of a collection of thoughts that I'd like people to talk with me about.
