In many western countries, a trend is unfolding that is pushing paper money by the wayside: digital currency. Sweden is a leader in this new economy, with only 3% of all transactions taking place in cash. An evolving mindset concerning currency, as well as new payment technologies, have paved the way for many countries to change the method of monetary distribution. If the trend continues, it is estimated that currency in the United Kingdom will be mostly digital by the year 2026.
While digital methods of payment are growing astronomically in many countries, some places find it difficult to keep up. One such place is Romania. In this country, 42% of the population does not own a bank account, and unemployment and poverty are widespread. 78% of all transactions in Romania are made in cash, and the cash-dependence is not likely to diminish any time soon.
While Romania is a very poor country economically, it is also a poor country spiritually–only 5% of the population is evangelical Christian. The desperate need is not for new technology or a bank account for every citizen; salvation paid for by Jesus free to each person is the message all Romanians need to hear. In Matthew 6, Jesus said, “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal: But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal: For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.”
