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Inspired by Wikipedia

By Scott Carter

Wikipedia—does that ring a bell? Okay, I’ll help you out. Wikipedia is a project to produce a free-content encyclopedia that can be edited by anyone. It formally began in January 2001, as a complement to the similar, but expert-written, Nupedia project. It has since replaced Nupedia, growing to become a large, global collaboration.

Fascinating concept with even more fascinating results. For over 200 years, encyclopedias such as Encyclopedia Britannica have defined and informed our world. They were the domain of scholars and experts and were carefully sculpted over centuries to be a bastion of elite knowledge, the sacred haunt of a chosen few.

In five stunning years, Wikipedia has reshaped the entire encyclopedia landscape. At wikipedia.com, a staff of four paid employees oversees a volunteer staff of 30,000 that willingly makes continual improvements in the 1,199,508 (and counting) articles. Four staff and 30,000 volunteers! How could this have happened?

Wikipedia tapped into the desire for common people to contribute to something much larger than themselves. When people are given the opportunity to become part of history, it is simply unbelievable what they will do.

There are some stunning parallels here to the spiritual realm. For hundreds of years, many Christians have believed and acted as if ministry was the exclusive haunt of the “clergy,” those educated, initiated, and sometimes fossilized relics of an epoch long past. But, fast forward to the twenty-first century. This isn’t your grandfather’s ministry. It’s yours. Ephesians 4:12 describes ministry as God designed it. It’s not about the professionals—it’s about the body. It’s not about the few—it’s about the many. It’s not about exclusivity—it’s about inclusiveness.

This open-ministry thing also applies to the Great Commission. You’ve already been commissioned (Matthew 28:18-20). You have the opportunity to be a part of something that is bigger than yourself. God commissioned us to be His ambassadors—to make history, to redeem the time.

I feel the abundant life of Jesus flowing through my veins, and that energizes me. Who knows what God will do in our lifetime through an army of millions of others, equipped and released to serve His interests across our planet.

There goes the counter again. There are now 1,310,509 articles and counting on wikipedia.org.The clock is ticking. We have to let God use us to build His kingdom. I’ve got to serve someone—share His story with someone.