“Our Lord needs from us neither great deeds nor profound thoughts. Neither intelligence nor talents. He cherishes simplicity. ”
“I’m taking a break from social media. You won’t see me here for a while. The persistent noise of it isn’t good for me and I need to step back,” wrote a friend of mine recently on Facebook.
Part of me was jealous. You can do that- just step away?
My excuses were many. I need it for work. It’s how former classmates get in touch with me. How will I broadcast my new blog posts? And on and on.
Still, I secretly longed for some cabin in the woods with only spotty WiFi and no access to social media. Since my friend’s post, an insight emerged.
How We’re Made
We are wired by God to seek truth and to be in relationship with one another. We are made for Him and we are made for community. The “good life” is essentially summed up in the pursuit of these dual purposes which ought to be complementary to one another. Ultimately, a love of God leads me to love neighbor. And, conversely, I can be led to God through the love of the other.
The two are not meant to be in tension. Let me explain.
Seek truth but no relationship: this is lonely and ultimately could lead to pride. Example: the news commentator who is self righteous but refuses to belong to any group for accountability and support. Or, the angry religious guy who lost all joy years ago.
Seek relationship but no truth: this is collegial and feels good but could lead to, again, pride. Example: the religious group that breaks off, all the while believing erroneous things but feeling glad that, at least, they are together. Or, the individual who is so desperate to belong to some political cause that they forsake honest critique of their platform.
A New Approach
What if we could integrate these dual purposes into our use of social media? What if there were a time for a new, more honest use of social media? Imagine a more civil stream of Facebook posts or an actual dialogue instead of the vitriol that is often seen on Twitter…
If you use social media at all, ask yourself:
Am I posting this to seek truth?
I.e. am I helping others realize something good and noble? Am I avoiding snarky replies and perspectives? Am I sincerely trying to be humble in my pursuit of God?
Am I building relationships?
I.e. am I encouraging others and helping them to become better? Am I affirming their worth and dignity before God?
If you’re just posting something as a “drive by” commentator, check yourself. Or, if you are virtue-signaling so that you feel better about yourself, check yourself. A hobby would be a much better investment than a steady diet of Tweets and posts. It’s time for a new, more honest approach to social media.
One Final Thought
“Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life and attend to your own business and work with your hands, just as we commanded you”
The quiet life is a sincere option for us today. You and I don’t need Facebook. You and I don’t need Instagram. We can pursue truth and seek relationship without any technology at all. It would be better to know God and love others without any use of technology, than to become a cynical, self-centered, lonely public person with thousands of followers. They’re not really friends anyway.