Wikipedia

Are you a fan of Wikipedia? For those who might not be familiar, Wikipedia is an extensive encyclopedia available on the internet for anyone to use absolutely free. What makes it special is that its content comes from whoever decides to write something. It can then be edited by whoever wishes to do so.

At first, this sounds like chaos and one might think the content could well be suspicious and unreliable. Turns out, just the opposite is true. I guess the dynamic at work is that if someone posts something incorrectly, six billion people around the planet have an immediate opportunity to fix it.

There are, no doubt, pros and cons about the whole concept, but one thing I have noticed about Wikipedia entries is that they tend to be sterile; that is, lacking in depth and emotion. Such is probably the nature of encyclopedias in general.

For example, look up Palm Sunday in Wikipedia and you get a “clinically” accurate, but bland and emotionless article. The facts are simple; read them in John 12:12-19. But beyond the facts, take a few minutes this morning to think about the reality: The vision of Jesus riding on the back of a borrowed donkey; the smell and feel of the crowd honoring Him by placing palm branches in His path; the knowledge we now have in retrospect that the same people who hailed Him on His arrival would, days later, call for His crucifixion.

Today, may Jesus’ determination and commitment to His purpose on earth, His death, and resurrection, be an example and blessing to us all.


Lee Walker