Always On
How does one navigate social media as a Christian? I think this is a question that 2020 has forced
many pastors to ask. Just a year ago, we
all were preparing for Christmas like every other year. Whether it was sermon preparation or shopping
for staff gifts, it was a Christmas like every other. The churches would be full as we gathered to celebrate
the Christ child. The idea of using
social media to spread the message was primarily an afterthought or at best as
free advertisement. The purpose of
social media would be to bring more people inside the building to hear the
Gospel.
Christmas
this year is drastically different. Unfortunately,
many churches have not been able to meet in person. Some churches have closed their doors for
good. Others are now meeting online. Needless to say, social media is no longer
viewed as a small part of the ministry.
In many ways, it is the ministry.
Never before has social media been more important for the church’s biggest
event.
The
past year has caused each of us to rethink how to use social media to advance
to Gospel. How can one practice faith
through social media? In 2019, Angela Williams
Gorrell authored a book entitled Always On which works to answer this
very question. Gorrell seeks to guide
anyone believer but especially Christian leaders through one’s fears of social
media to ways in which social media can effectively share the Gospel with the world. Now the book was written pre-COVID; however,
as you read it, it is easy to think it was written especially for 2020.
Always
On describes
social media through two distinct options.
First, social media offers glorious possibilities.[1] Through social media, someone can be
connected to so many others who share common interests from all across the
world. Social media offers opportunities
to share with old friends who now live across the country. One can find comfort and joy as they share
life events through social media. For churches,
it means a chance to connect even when we are unable to socially gather.
Unfortunately,
social media can also offer profound brokenness.[2] Even though it can connect us, social media
can also cause us to view each other online as less than human. One can say things online they would never
share in person. We have all seen some
pretty hateful things shared on Facebook or an insensitive tweet that
immediately gets deleted. People have
shared one thought only to have many individuals online destroy them in
response. Individuals have committed suicide
based primarily on cyberbullying. There
is as tendency to view what we see through social media as something less than
human. The issue becomes more important
that the person or even the relationship.
Gorrell
shares that is the landscape in which the church should start to consider
social media. She mentions some churches
completely ignore social media while others dive in blindly. Other churches follow
an intentional plan as they navigate social media. It is the final category in which Gorrell guides
the reader through the rest of the book.
She seeks to address five interests: interest in how the church discusses
new media, interest in exploring new media, interest in critically reflection
on what each media is attempting to be, interest in sharing a Christian perspective
through such media, and finally interest in living faithfully online as well as
through one’s daily personal interactions.[3]
For
Gorrell, these five interests are key to navigating social media. They explore what is an appropriate media for
the church to share the Gospel. They
force us to understand the purpose behind the various social media platforms. She shares how we should express our faith through
social media. She shares examples of how
Jesus could interact through social media and then those ramifications for our
interactions online.
I
think my favorite section of the book regards how we may view Jesus interacting
through social media. Throughout 2020, I
have wrestled with what it means to be a Christian now only through social media
but also politically. We have recently
gone through one of the more challenging elections in our country’s history. For one who grew up the Midwest, I was raised
to believe to vote Christian is to vote Republican. It was that simple. Unfortunately, we have seen some very unchristian
actions from our leaders on both sides of the political spectrum. There are things President Trump has said or
done that would not be very Christlike, and yet, he is viewed as the savior of Evangelical
America. If we were to really look at
what Jesus did during his ministry, we see love for the poor and
downtrodden. Unfortunately, the Republican
stance has traditionally been one to pull oneself up by their bootstraps while
Democrats have worked on social programs that look assist the poor. It seems that during election season, the
primary position is over abortion where Republicans are pro-life and Democrats
are pro-choice. That is the line which creates
political separation. In our interactions
through social media perhaps we need to really reconsider what is from the Gospel
and what is from our personal political views.
Another
part of the book that really resonated with me stems back to my original topic,
Christmas. In chapter three, Gorrell
discusses the narrative in which social media seems to promote. Social media seeks to express oneself own
desires and needs. The primary narrative
is one of selfishness. Reading this book
during the holiday season has caused me to reconsider what is important. As we work through this very different Christmas
season, we cannot lose sight of what Christmas is about. Its not about getting the newest Xbox or PlayStation. Its not about having the brightest lights in
the neighborhood. Christmas is not about
what we can get. Its about what we can
give. The greatest gift was given to us
over two thousand years ago when Jesus came into this world to redeem us. Whatever gift we may find under the tree or
in the stocking is nothing compared to this gift. A life redeemed is so much more than any silver
or gold. As Christmas comes closer and
we work to gather virtually either to worship in services or to celebrate as a
family, social media can be a great tool to share God’s love with others.
Always
On was
very prophetic in ways. Some of the
messages will resonate more this year than it would any other time. As the church, social media can be a
tremendous tool to connect with our fellow believers but also with those who
are seeking some form of love and attention.
God blessed the poor and downtrodden first through Jesus, and now He
calls us to do the same.
Check it out:
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