The Church in a Cashless Economy

“And he causes all, the small and the great, and the rich and the poor, and the free men and the slaves, to be given a mark on their right hand, or on their forehead; and he provides that no one should be able to buy or to sell, except the one who has the mark, either the name of the beast or the number of his name.” Revelation 13:16, 17

I very seldom write on current news except when it has some bearing on Bible prophesies. Also, this writing is more India-centric and how I see the Church in this country’s new economic push. Therefore I am not quite sure if what I write is from the Lord. However the focus of my writing eventually leads to an aspect that the Church needs to pay careful heed to, lest she finds herself unprepared and I think this is what the Lord would want too.

About three weeks after the Prime Minister of India announced that high denomination notes (which constituted nearly 86% of the cash in circulation) was no longer going to be recognised as a legal tender, I found this thought impressed upon my heart: “I have placed this government in power to fulfil what I have purposed.” This was at a time when the entire country was facing a severe cash crunch. Bank restrictions on how much money one can withdraw, serpentine queues outside banks, non-functional ATM machines have put citizens through enormous difficulties. The crisis is still on, even as I write.

A day later, news of airports in two South Indian cities allowing biometric data stored on the Unique Identity Card (known in India as the Aadhar card) as identity proof to permit passengers into the airport building caught my attention. The government controlled Unique Identity Authority of India (UIDAI) has in its possession the name, age, photograph, address, fingerprints of all 10 digits and the iris scan of each individual who has obtained this card. A 12-digit unique ID number given to each card holder has served for some years now as a proof of identity.

Barely 24 hours later I read of how the Government of India was going to make it compulsory for all bank account holders to link their Aadhar card to their bank accounts—something that has hitherto been optional and only if one wants to avail of direct government benefits, like subsidy and the likes. Not long after that I read of how the government is planning to launch a new way of transaction now referred to as the Aadhar Payment App (or Aadhar Pay). Two banks have already initiated this; one of them being India’s largest Public Sector bank and on December 25, 2016, close to 100 merchants have begun using this form of transaction.

Here is where this new drive to get India into a cashless economy appears to be heading in the direction of Revelation 13:16-18. The system is simple and “will enable citizens in the deepest corners of the country to participate in the digital movement, even those who do not own a phone,” said the CEO of one of the banks that is part of the nationwide launch of an Aadhar-linked cashless solution. It works this way: A merchant is given an Android based smart phone with the Aadhar Pay App on it. He is also given a fingerprint scanner. All the customer needs to do to pay for his purchase is provide his Aadhar number (which is of course linked to his bank account) and authorize the payment using his fingerprint. Nothing else!

I believe that this is the beginning of what will soon be the chief form of transactions. If anyone needs to buy or sell, it will require the individual’s biometrics. The severe cash shortage and the government’s earnest resolve to push for cashless transactions has already taken centre-stage so as to quickly bring normalcy to the lives of every Indian. However my fear is this: Could this eventually lead to what has been told to us by God nearly 2000 years ago? How this will play out on a global scale, I do not know. What I do know is that the time has come for the Church to awake (Eph. 5:14).

The purpose of my writing this is to encourage each Christian heart to build their lives on the most holy faith they have in God (Jude 20). Now is the time, when the Church needs to cling to God in complete trust—in His care and faithfulness and mercy and goodness. Now is the time for each heart to be anchored in God’s unfailing, forever-enduring, inseparable and immeasurable love—an anchor that is lodged in deep so that we are not shaken in crisis; nor moved with fear when times of distress come upon us. If we do not use this time, while it is still day to know the God we believe in and lean on Him with an unshakeable faith, I fear night will come when no man will be in a position to do much (Jn. 9:4). Now is the time to gather oil in our flasks. A time will come when we will find it very difficult.

I do not write this to frighten anyone. I too pay for what I need using online transactions or debit card and sometimes my e-wallets. But never have I used my fingerprints to buy anything. So I write this to alert the Church. I write this with the desire that the Church awake, “for we are all sons of light and sons of day. We are not of night nor of darkness” (1Thes. 5:5).

“God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1Thes. 5:9). The Lord knows those who are His (2Tim. 2:19) and He will keep and protect His children if they have to go through the tribulation. Just as it is written, “Do not harm the earth or the sea or the trees, until we have sealed the bond-servants of our God on their foreheads” (Rev. 7:3). However twice in two chapters has God said, “Here is the perseverance of the saints who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus” (Rev. 13:10; 14:12). If anyone has an ear, let him hear (Rev. 13:9).