Every twelve years, millions of Hindus flock to Allahabad to bathe in the River Ganges, believing that they will be cleansed from sin. Sadly, scores of pilgrims regularly get injured in the crush as the crowds rush to the water. However India, now a world centre of information technology, has has come up with a popular website, webdunia.com, that offers purification by proxy. Pilgrims who want to avoid crowds, chaos, and travel costs can now send a passport-size photo to the site, which then provides virtual absolution.
However Jesus taught that there is no such thing as cheap grace. True forgiveness only comes as a result of faith and repentance – a simple trust in God’s undying love for us, and a willingness to turn from a life that leaves Him out, to one that has Him at its centre.