There is a There, there, in the Metaverse

 And we need to go there. 

Recently on Facebook the opinion was offered that the Metaverse created by Meta (formerly known as Facebook) was a bust because as yet it is sparsely inhabited. I fear the observation is both inaccurate and short-sited. 

First, while Meta's Metaverse is indeed a bit empty (I've visited) it is also gaining inhabitants daily. To participate fully one really must have VR goggles, and that is obviously a limitation. But there is a feedback loop already occurring.

To understand this we can look at the history of American frontier. In the 17th century the whole of the continent West of the mountains was inaccessible to the vast majority of Euro-Americans. But a combination of population pressure, emerging technologies (covered wagons, the railroad), and discoveries (the Cumberland gap) led first to pioneers, and then a flood of migration westward. Each time a small town was established, or a trading post, it became easier and more attractive for settlers to follow. (And tragically for the indigenous inhabitants to be displaced or killed, a legacy with which we have yet to fully reckon.)

As more people are drawn into the Metaverse(s) and build infrastructure within them they will become more attractive and useful. Drawing more people in. 

Secondly the Metaverse isn't the only virtual world. Altspace VR and Spacial are two such worlds designed specifically for broad range virtual interaction. And there are increasingly rich tool sets for creating new worlds, a process going on even as I speak. In addition to these general purpose virtual worlds there are tens of millions of inhabitants every minute occupying the specialized virtual worlds of online games. As links between the Metaverse and these other virtual worlds are formed the whole complex will become a more viable and interesting place. 

And already there are a few church planters visiting these virtual worlds and seeking to gather people to hear the gospel. And since many of these worlds allow the users to create their own spaces within them, already there are virtual cities growing up. Entrepreneurs are already finding ways to create value within these worlds and monetize that value to increase both real-world and virtual wealth. 

And I might add, there are already ideal currencies for these virtual worlds through block-chain technology. After all, bitcoin is entirely virtual. But then how many of us actually exchange cash any more? The US dollar exchanged through PayPal transactions (or Wise, or Venmo, or Zelle, etc) is no more real than bitcoin. Its simply backed by a different set of ineffable relationships, the so-called US economy. So yes, virtual worlds have virtual economies that cross over into our "real world" economy. 

I realize that all this talk of "virtual worlds" seems unimaginable, particularly if they must be entered through clunky strap on goggles. But this is changing and will continue to change. It is imaginable and indeed probable in the next few years that wearing no more than what appear to be regular glasses we will be able to seamlessly shift between real and virtual worlds. And in any case the facts speak for themselves. The worlds are there, and they have tens of millions of inhabitants. 

Have I mentioned that for many persons with physical disabilities entering and moving around such worlds is easier and more empowering than merely being accommodated in the so called "real" world? 

And yes, already the non-demoninational leadership and mission networks are exploring those worlds and planting churches. I've now attended my second (virtual) seminar on the same. 

So the question for those called to ministry and evangelism is this: Where are the missionaries? Where are the circuit riders to share the gospel in these new worlds? Christians have crossed oceans to share the gospel, are you telling me we can't put on a pair of VR goggles?