It’s amazing what technology enables people with creativity and vision to do.
This video, created by Western Conservatory of the Arts and Sciences, shows how Christ’s message has spread and retreated, one year per frame.
“Charting the geographic progress of the Gospel over the last 2,000 years, this map shows the missionary journeys of the apostles, the outposts of the early church, the hotbeds of persecution, the staging grounds of the Church’s major theological battles, and more. See the power of the Gospel to transform ‘every nation and tribe and language and people,’ and be inspired by the legacies of the brave brothers and sisters who faithfully carried the Gospel of Christ to the farthest ends of the earth.” – Western Conservatory’s own description of the video
What most amazes me in this video is how halting, wavering, and complex the spread of the gospel has been. Too often, we think of that spread as a more or less continual growth, with only minor setbacks and with many areas remaining untouched. Actually, though, this map demonstrates that there have been several retreats, many of them quite significant (note how often the gospel came to central Asia but then left).
This map confronts my assumptions, teaches me something new, and makes me want to learn more. That’s always valuable.
To reiterate, this is not my video. I look forward to developing such skills, but in the meantime, I am glad and grateful that God has developed them in others.
The Heffron Family 