I’ve been thinking about what this new year and new decade might hold for us, and thought I’d stick my neck out and make some predictions. In line with some of the major themes of this blog I’ve gone for something from categories of: technology, faith, environment, politics… and the personal. Some tongue-in-cheek, some serious. You decide which!

5 Predictions for 2010:

Technology

Googlewave will be seen as a failure, which will lead to some interesting debate about the limitations of online spaces for collaboration. Twitter will discuss having to pay for its service. Apple will launch a tablet device, and people will moan about how easily the screen breaks.

Faith

The Anglican church will not schism, not this year. The growth of small intentional, post-congregational communities will be picked up and reported by a national newspaper.

Environment

We will have the hottest day in the UK since records began, and the wettest. But hand-wringing will lead to little further action on climate change.

Politics

Labour will win the general election, but only with support from the Lib Dems. Brown will not survive the year, but will resign for family reasons rather than be actually ousted.

Personal

I’ll release a book called ‘Other – Loving God, Self and Neighbour in a World of Fractures’ and both people who read it will love it. I’ll get a short story published too. This will make me happy.

5 Predictions for the decade to 2020:

Technology

Devices will begin to have disappeared and been absorbed into our bodies. It will not be science fiction or dystopian, but we will be human+. An anti-enhancement movement will be well established, and have bought land to establish a neo-Luddite community of 1000+ people.
Google will be frighteningly powerful.

Faith

Our understanding of neuroscience and of the workings of the brain will have a huge impact on our understanding of spirituality and community. Islam will begin to grapple with the issue of homosexuality within the Ummah. The vast majority of those who call themselves Christian will not attend ‘church,’ even though there will be female bishops. Andrew Jones will be blogging from the moon.

Environment

Climate change will not be fully addressed until a major climate-related event impacts both a large western city – probably in the US – and one in China. Migration of the poor away from low-lying coastal areas will be a huge problem. Vegetarianism will be much more the norm in the UK.

Politics

There will be a reasonably stable peace agreement between Israel and Palestine, brought about towards the end of a second Obama term of office. One has to have hope…

Personal

I’ll have a novel published. This will make me very happy.

[Great image from Valpnow]