The Christian Commons, by Tim Jore, addresses what could be the greatest obstacle to the Gospel’s spread in this century. Are you guessing it’s radical Islam, secular humanism, or maybe apathetic Christians?
Although all of the above are serious issues, a huge threat to the Gospel’s spread is the inappropriate application of copyright law to Christian materials, like Bible translations, discipleship resources, and evangelistic media. This shackling leaves the global Church unable to access or adapt (translate, put into oral form, etc.) the books and media needed to meet the overwhelming spiritual needs of billions.
The technology of the 21st century provides unprecedented opportunities for ending the spiritual famine of the global church. We have the technology that could be used to help meet their need. We have the capacity of bringing spiritual famine relief to anyone, anywhere, efficiently, and at extremely low cost. What we do not have (yet) is adequate Bible translations and other discipleship resources that provide the legal freedom to take full advantage of these opportunities. In the legal context of “all rights reserved,” the global Church is unable to work together without restriction or hindrance to leverage Internet and mobile technology to the fullest for the purposes of God’s Kingdom and the equipping of His Church. (quoted from the introduction of The Christian Commons)
Are we following in Paul’s example when he wrote to the Corinthians: “We endure anything, rather than put an obstacle in the way of the Gospel of Christ”?
Where is our brotherly love when we enact or enforce harsh restrictions that stop our siblings in Christ from receiving spiritual bread? What will it take for us to remember how we were purchased for a great price, so all we can claim to own is a gift from God? If we have been blessed to be a blessing, why don’t we share what He’s given us, passing His teachings along to spiritually-malnourished peoples in the Global South?
If you’d like to learn more about the problem or want to learn how you can be part of the solution, I highly recommend reading this short book: The Christian Commons.
If you’d like more of an introduction to this issue, check out the introductory video below: