Nine months ago, PayPal predicted that “the Philippines’ eCommerce market will grow to US3.5 billion by 2020, fueled by mobile shopping and growing awareness in online shopping.” The prediction will probably see fruition but not in any way anybody could ever imagine, certainly not this horrible.

With almost the entire nation under quarantine, online shopping among the middle class and above has become a necessary option. And together with that is cashless payment as people are afraid of touching anything that others have come in contact with even though WHO never said anything about banknotes transmission. Some online merchants have gone to the extent of disabling COD so consumers are forced to go cashless.

Cashless payment is an exchange of money between a buyer and a seller which does not involve physical money. Instead, it is made through a credit card, debit card, mobile wallet, mobile banking, online payment system, etc. using technology. It’s all very convenient actually. I like it. Can you imagine if this quarantine happened back when we didn’t have the Internet? Ah, but it is a double-edged sword. Remember what the Bible said about it.

The false prophet, the right-hand guy of the Antichrist, will require “everyone—small and great, rich and poor, free and slave—to be given a mark on the right hand or on the forehead. And no one could buy or sell anything without that mark, which was either the name of the beast or the number representing his name.” (Rev. 13:16-17 NLT) This is cashless payment and it is happening now. No, let me correct myself. It has been happening for decades now.

When I was a teenager, I was frightened by end-time prophecy but also fascinated how a cashless society can be a reality. Now that I am middle-aged, I didn’t even realize that I have been participating in it even before finishing high school. What is scary for me is that I am finding it very enjoyable because of the convenience it brings until this lockdown, like a pop-up reminder from my iPhone, made me stop and think about it.

The almost-Mad-Max-like state of mind that the country is going through brought back to me what the Bible prophesied about cashless being a sign of end times. It made me recall questions my teenage mind had: how could people see it unfold and not be alarmed? Surely they will hit the emergency button? And yet here I was, a professing follower with a seminary degree, blogging about socio-political stuff from a biblical perspective, being thankful for the convenience this technology has to offer. I was softened up.

I am not saying I will unplug and sign out of all the mobile payment systems. The march has started and all roads will lead to that, no matter what I do or don’t do but it doesn’t mean I cannot do anything. I can share the gospel. I can bring more souls into the kingdom. You can share the gospel. You can bring more souls into the kingdom. During this time of lockdown, we hear people reflecting on what is truly important. Carrying out God’s agenda is the most important of them all. Some of us may not survive this global pandemic but the fruits of our ministerial labor will. In fact, they will survive for all eternity in heaven if only we will rise out of our evangelistic stupor. In a world losing hope, let us point them to the everlasting Hope.