There’s a lot to be angry about on the antisocial social media. Keyboard warriors posting things they would never say to your face. I’ll be honest, In many ways I have had enough. If I had a dollar for every time I have written a comment and immediately deleted it, well I’d have quite a few dollars. I hate to unfriend and block people so much that I rarely do it, but I must admit, the “snooze for 30 days” button has become a dear friend.
I Have to Be Better
Look, the thing is, in addition to my creative arts ministry, I pastor a church. There are days where I seriously consider leaving social media altogether, but it’s too useful a tool to just eliminate it. That being said, I know that I have been called into a leadership position in the body of Christ, and so the example I set is important, and I must admit, there are comments and articles that make me want to set a bad one.
I need to be better.
Practice What You Teach
James 3:1 reminds us, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” Well I became a teacher, and that judgment thing is true. Oh, I believe the Lord will be merciful, but that is not a license for me to be a jerk. Of course there is the other judgment, you know the one, “and he calls himself a pastor.” Believers and unbelievers alike are there to hold me to a standard no human being could reach. Whether I am a heretic or a hypocrite, depends on their perspective, but they’re not entirely wrong. I am, after all in this world, imperfect though I am, representing someone who is completely perfect. My life and my teaching need to match up. How did that old song go? “Sometimes I feel like somebody’s watching me.” They are.
I need to be better.
People Are Watching
This hit home for me in a most unexpected way. I believe I have mentioned in previous columns that I minister each year at a camp for people with developmental difficulties. It is one of my life’s greatest blessings. I have grown to love these people and the feeling is mutual. Well one day, I went on Facebook and wished a friend Happy Birthday. A few minutes later, I saw one of my friends from the camp (a camper) had replied to one of my posts, so I went to see what that was.. They wished this same friend a happy birthday. Now that was very nice of this camper, and I’m not surprised because the has a very loving heart, but my camper’s only connection to that friend was me, and I realized these campers that I love so much, see everything I post, and maybe every comment.
I need to be better.
The Other Side of Commenting
The other side of people watching is they see what I post, so when I comment on a post I find to be disagreeable or worse, it spreads to my friend list. Now like everyone else, I have an echo chamber of people who agree with me, and I love them. The thing is, every time I comment, I end up sharing an idea that I found reprehensible enough to try to correct, with a couple thousand people. It’s like the political candidates who post commercials for their base that end up getting the rest of us to vote against them. I’m giving something i find thoroughly disagreeable free publicity.
I need to do better.
What Are You Feeding?
There’s an old saying. “What you feed grows. What you starve dies.” Could it be that I could defeat some of these disagreeable things, by simply ignoring them and letting them die? I mean if your body goes viral, you get sick, but if a post goes viral it gets stronger and can “live” almost forever. Maybe it’s time for negativity to die from neglect, but that can be difficult, when my default response is to react.
I need to do better.
My Decision
Here is the conclusion I have come to. I’m going to combat negativity with positivity. Rather than drawing attention to things I find disagreeable, and giving them an audience, I’m going to flood social media with things that bring joy and goodness. Instead of getting triggered to fight, I’m going to let negativity trigger me toward positivity. I’ve created a YouTube channel to do just that. See the Bible tells me, “Have nothing to do with foolish, ignorant controversies; you know that they breed quarrels.” 2 Timothy 2:23. Isn’t that really all I’m doing when I get in a flame war on social media. I end up broadcasting something I passionately disagree with, with a lot of people, and some of those people will spread it further. The thing about flame wars, is all they can do is destroy. I don’t have time for that. I’d rather devote my limited time and energy to making things right.
I need to do better… I can do better…
and I will!
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