We Christians don’t just have a physical earth to deal with now, we have to deal with virtual planets that exist only in people’s minds and on servers’ hard drives. Preaching the Gospel and sharing the Love of Christ isn’t just something we can expect will take place in physical buildings. Of course people have been reading books, listening to tapes/CDs/podcasts, and watching video for many years (and books for centuries, of course). That’s nothing new. But what is new is the idea that a real-time, communal, 3D life-like experience can take place via the media of computer software.

Christians have been disturbingly slow in embracing this new form of media, in my opinion. Why? I don’t know. Maybe because we’re regularly taught that computer games, social networking, and virtual reality are dangerous and take our focus away from important things in life. Maybe there’s truth in that. But since when did Jesus tell us we could avoid advancing the Kingdom of Heaven in certain places because there’s evil there? Isn’t that the POINT of being a Christian?

Thankfully, at least one church family gets it. LifeChurch.tv, a multi-site church that’s been making waves because of its cutting-edge use of technology and laser-like focus on being relevant and Scriptural at the same time, is opening a campus in Second Life. Experience Island, as it is called, hasn’t yet officially opened, but it’s publically accessible now, so all you have to do is log into SL (the basic account is free if you aren’t already a member), teleport to Experience Island, and there it is: a church building, just like in real life, complete with a sanctuary that will host real services featuring live streaming video. Video-on-demand of previous sermons are available already.

I had a great chat with a couple of guys from LifeChurch.tv and another gal from a different church. Seeing people on the front lines for Christ in Second Life is so awesome. I spent a huge amount of time several years ago in SL, and after some time had passed, I felt the Lord lead me out of that for good reasons. Yet I always wished I’d find a good reason to return — and specially I’ve been waiting for years for a real fellowship of Christians to start accomplishing something productive in SL. This may be just what the Great Physician ordered.

Blessings to the LC folks for launching this new venture. May God use it in ways we can only begin to imagine!

P. S. Once the island is officially open and events start taking place, I am SO there. Look for me under the handle “Aspiring Enoch”. I’ll be the guy up front virtually raising his hands!