The slogan for YouTube seems to be an appropriate way to describe all of life in the era of social networking: Broadcast Yourself. Whether we’re talking about Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, or a host of other networks, the web has given us a myriad of ways to amplify our voice.
This new world is a perpetual stream of communication, from the most mundane (“hot dogs are awesome!”) to the most serious (“my dad just died), with no differentiation of importance. We’re just as likely to encounter bold-faced narcissism as we are a prayer request as we read through our feed.
It has redefined relationships, providing a different window into one another. “Friending” and “Unfriending” are a matter of clicks on a screen, rather than a product of relationships and conversations.
The whole reality is a veneer. We’re usually broadcasting only the best of ourselves, emphasizing our victories, commenting judgmentally on pop culture, and presenting our best side to the world. The exceptions come on our hardest days, when many of us dump our disasters, looking for sympathetic comments and feedback. Christians tend to be no different, broadcasting our piety as we fast or feast, leaving no spiritual thought unpublished.
I wonder if we shouldn’t wrestle a bit with Jesus’ words:
Matthew 6:2
“So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
Matthew 6:5
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
Matthew 6:16
“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full.
Dallas Willard has said, “one of the greatest fallacies of our faith, and actually one of the greatest acts of unbelief, is the thought that our spiritual acts and virtues need to be advertised to be known….secrecy, rightly practiced enables us to place our public relations department entirely in the hands of God who lit our candles so we could be the light of the world, not so we could hide under a bushel.” (from The Spirit of the Disciplines, page 173)
In the passage quoted above, Willard highlights the contrast between a self-promoting kind of public faith, and the inevitable light-spreading kind of faith that comes from following Jesus. The “discipline of secrecy” is the way many Christians have described an intentional kind of tight-lipped action. Certain things, like fasting, praying, and blessing others can be done in a way they are kept secret, between you and God. The blessing is a spiritual one, rather than the praise and acclamation from onlookers.
So I wonder… what would it look like to embrace the discipline of secrecy in an era of social media? Are there ways of living out the Christian life in an age of social media that leave room for the reward to be heavenly, unbroadcasted, unannounced?
The temptation is to think not – to think that social media is an opportunity for witnessing and living out our faith, but keep in mind the eye-rolling reaction most of us have to self-aggrandizing claims on social media. “My two-year-old is a genius!” “My wife is the greatest!” “I just became the mayor of Jiffy Lube!”
Maybe it’s just me… Maybe my cynicism is getting best of me here. Or maybe not. Maybe all of us read through our feeds with more than a little doubt about the veneer we present on Twitter and Facebook.
I’m not suggesting it’s sinful to broadcast our Christian lives. I’m also not suggesting that a steady stream of Bible verses and spiritual quotes is wrong or dangerous. I’m merely suggesting that before we schedule that tweet, we stop to ask whether we’re doing this for His glory, or to present a dressed-up spiritual picture of ourselves to the world. In many cases, the answer might be “both”, and that’s okay too. Christ is sufficient for our narcissism.
But… if that’s the case, and a good thing is being clouded by the sin within us, perhaps a fast from this sort of broadcast is in order. (And you don’t need to tell anyone about it either.)
{ 15 comments… read them below or add one }
Hullo, Mike. I rode over to this post on Sarah’s tweet. Interesting thoughts as usual. In reading this post, and Pastor Daniel’s recent one about tweeting sermon notes, I have a couple of thoughts. First, technology, and more specifically social media, is a powerful tool. It’s never been a good idea to use anything powerful thoughtlessly or with reckless abandon. And when people are using something thoughtlessly or with reckless abandon, I always wonder what’s behind that?
The second thought is a little fuzzier for me. I don’t think you’re going there in this post, but there is a tendency among believers to latch on to some physical thing, declare it a corrupting influence, and rail against it. A century or so ago it was “demon liquor.” And I see a lot of faith bloggers heading in a similar direction concerning social media (which is ironic, since they’re faith BLOGGERS, but I digress). But doesn’t that assume that the thing (whether it’s rum or twitter) has a moral character that corrupts our souls, when isn’t it the other way around? Aren’t our hearts corrupt, and we take a good or neutral thing we made and turn it into an idol or a weapon?
Anyway, the post made me think, which is always a good thing. Have a blessed week.
Hi Kat - I definitely don’t think social media is evil in itself - but it certainly plays to our narcissism. I want to further the discussion a bit and ask how we might reconsider the natural way we use Social Media.
Good thoughts as always Mike. Just yesterday I heard a mom tell a story about her four year old girl being told by another girl at pre-school that she was “unfriending” her. The little girl came home to ask her mom what that meant.
Good point… Again. How about using that awesome framework of grace and swinging the pendulum in the other direction? Don’t see much of that these days. Shoot I’ll event give you a headline for the post.
Transformed & Transparent: Twitter as a Spiritual Discipline
Seriously though, I love you guys.
Interesting thought - I wonder… is there such a thing as “transparent” or “authentic” online, apart from face-to-face interaction and (in the classic sense of the word) communion?
Yes.
Wether its the cave wall or a facebook wall its written communication. Social networking is no more than modern letter writing. Who would argue that a person can’t be transparent or authentic in a letter? History is marked with love stories where people communicated by letters, sometimes solely, and no one would suggest that Paul was inauthentic when he wrote the epistles.
The explosion of social networks is fascinating. It’s also disturbing. So much bad, and so much good. Lately more bad than good because the church is fasting from Facebook for lent
On a personal note, we lost our little girl last year after 2 months of my wife being on strict bed rest. My wife had been active friends with another sojourner on facebook who also had pregnancy complications. When things got real tough this woman would drop Nichole a facebook message that would comfort us like no other. After nearly three years of close friendship through letters and notes they met at our daughters memorial service for the first time.
I weep as I consider the wasted facebook accounts of gospel believing christians. It drives me to the cross and I am grateful that the hardest thing was done, is being done and will be done by Christ. Mike is right, He really is sufficient. With that said, I thank God for giving us this unprecedented opportunity to advance the gospel, bring Him glory, and enjoy Him more than ever.
Lets change the conversation. Lets talk about that sweet gospel and how it frees us to use social networks with depth and purpose.
I was going to duck out of this conversation, but I’m glad I checked in just for this. RE: Does transparent or authentic exist community exist online. I apologize. There’s no way for this comment not to be enormous.
This is just one example, but my “real” community at a previous church got tired of walking alongside me in a long-term struggle. Ladies I considered friends and sisters stopped calling, politely and quietly disappearing from my still-messy life. I didn’t attend worship for a year before leaving that church, but I spent every Sunday serving in child care, and not a soul ever said “Hey, haven’t seen you in worship for a while? Are you okay?” No one called, except the one time I overslept and didn’t make it to serve. When we left, no one even apparently noticed. I’d love to say this was the exception in the “real world,” in or out of church but in comparing notes, it’s not.
Meanwhile I have a “false” Facebook community of ladies from a message board which continues to encourage and exhort me daily. If I disappear for days without an explanation, I get texts and messages checking to see if I’m okay. We pray for each other in our struggles, and I suspect we are about 1000% more honest about those struggles than we are with people in “real life.” (It’s a private group.) Partly that’s on us for not sharing more IRL, but partly it’s that the people we know IRL aren’t open to that level of honesty. Someone has to lower their “I’ve got it all together” shields first, and when you do that, and get a blank stare and the sense that you’re oversharing, after a while you stop. And I’m more authentic IRL because the acceptance and grace I received from these women online healed some of the scars of having my trust betrayed when I shared my heart IRL.
Even 10 years after we ladies “met” online, we send flowers to each others’ family funerals. We love on and share faith with the few non-believing members of the group as much as we can. We’re arranging a virtual shower for one lady who is remarrying this spring.
So, which was the “false” community here? Who is really transparent and authentic, here? I just don’t believe that faking and hiding is a “social media” thing. I think it’s a human thing. If we’re focusing on what means we’re using to communicate and not our own hearts, we’re focusing on the wrong thing. It seems like Paul and the other apostles did a lot of important community-building, encouragement and exhortation not face-to-face, based on the epistles. I’m not saying digital communication can or should replace face-to-face. But doubting it’s even possible to be as honest and sincere online as you are in person? That’s a stretch.
Kat I can see where you are going with this and tend to agree. But I also think this like anything has to be looked at with discernment and wisedom and used with moderation. I think really anything used without moderation can turn bad and maybe in the age we are in where literally almost everyone is on some type of social media its a good reminder for some or maybe its just ppl worrying it will turn bad and proactively trying to prevent that I dont really know. I tend to err on (or try to at least) the side of Grace with everything and I think Mike probably is too here.
Oh, I absolutely believe that discernment is required when it comes to social media. Thoughtless behavior shows a lack of discernment. That goes for what comes out your keyboard on social media as much as it goes for what comes out your mouth at the physical water cooler (or office coffee pot). Makes me think of Mark 7:15.
Mike,
Great blog post. I also enjoyed reading Kat’s thoughtful reply. I think social media can be risky business. Back nearly 10 years ago, Facebook was just a student thing connecting college students. Now, it’s become far larger with families, businesses, and “everybody and their dog” on Facebook. It was a unique way of connecting with friends, finding some info about people (likes), and keeping in touch. However, it has changed in such a way that I have found it difficult to use Facebook in the same way that I used it when I first started back in college in the early 2000s. I used to ask deep probing questions to gauge where friends stood on various issues to learn from them and to just get a bead on where people were on different points of theology, etc. In college, I would get a lot of replies and good thoughtful comments. As Facebook expanded, I found that friends and family would sometimes clash on various issues, and my wall would turn into comment battle. Often, the heat from the battle would somehow turn toward me and all I would do was ask a question. I’ve since grown wiser in my usage of the revised Facebook (no longer The Facebook), and am very cognizant of the broad audience of “Facebook Friends” I have as well as the polarity between various issues that exist as well among my “Facebook Friends.” Some are solid Christian pastors and scholars, while others are like family are laity, and still others are not believers at all and are friends from high school or acquaintances of some sort. Presently, I view Facebook as a strange new ministry/mission field. I try to be generally respectful of others while at the same time not at all hiding the fact that I am a pastor and a bit of a theologian as well. Though, I try to also show that I’m still a human being and I don’t have a glowing yellow halo around my head. I like Indie rock, some of it, and I don’t try to mask my comments in otherworldly godliness that doesn’t connect with others as a feeble attempt to sound more holy, more righteous; as others foolishly do as if their comments could merit the work that only Christ could achieve. I make mistakes in comments sometimes and have had to apologize to some people who have misunderstood me, or explain myself at great length. I don’t think the answer is to stay away from social media and I’m glad, Mike, that you didn’t throw that in there as if the media itself is the problem. Ultimately, I do exactly what you suggest in evaluating everything I put on Facebook, especially comments to sensitive issues. I ask if it’s for my glory or God’s glory. Sometimes, I type a long response, then delete it as I realize I said all that I wanted to say, but it would have been a mistake to post that comment. Sometimes, I like to wait a day or two if someone makes a comment that I disagree with or am frustrated about. A night to think more critically on what you might say and a nights rest can do a lot of good. Above all the practical things, we should always count our experience and thoughts as secondary to God’s Word and prayer. After all, God’s Word alone is unchanging, perfect, and without the stain of sin.
Great post with much to think about. Will be subscribing to your blog.
Good article. Good points as well. I especially like that last one, “good thing is being clouded by the sin within us”… If we’re doing the posting or sharing to benefit us or make us “look good”, then we’re doing it for the wrong reason. If God is the reason and His glory being spread for the benefit of His kingdom and others by extension, GO FOR IT!!!
I post funny stories about my kids on Facebook all of the time! Lol! Because for our family it’s the best way to share these moments and stories with our parents and siblings and family who don’t live in Louisville. I don’t know if people roll their eyes at my Facebook page, but I do know many friends laugh or cry with me and we share the memory or story later on when we are together.
I agree with whoever said, “maybe faking and hiding isn’t just a social media thing, maybe it’s a human thing.” Though certainly as humans using social media we can misuse and abuse it sinfully.
The other thing that comes to mind is just how different we all are. We have different sin patterns, different reasons, different things that drive us to approach social media, different ways of viewing those “people” that we encounter online. As you said, we write hot dogs are awesome or my dad just died. Another interesting angle when considering these things is seeing how people respond. Many of us, I think just view our Facebook or Twitter feed as something for us. A source of entertainment or escapism maybe. We don’t necessarily see those names and what they are saying as people, souls, humans who are celebrating or weeping… or putting up a front. It feels hard, to me, to make big sweeping statements about motive related to social media.
Well, anyway, I think your post was very thought-provoking! I certainly would rather have a reward in heaven than the applause or favor of men. I will count it a grace to be mulling these thoughts over, and being open to acknowledging any glory I’m trying to steal for myself.
Excellent post! I know that I am personally guilty of thoughtlessly posting my opinions and thoughts to the web, with the temptation (and all too often the giving in to) to put forth a virtuous tone for the world within social media to “wonder at.”
How would you suggest avoiding the opposite temptation of cutting oneself off from social media in a sense of personal pride and almost martyrdom? This is an issue with which I tend to struggle, and I would love to hear your thoughts.
Mike-
A great article. Bothered by my own erratic posting patterns on social networking sites, I have been contemplating the correct place for Facebook and Twitter in my social life and considering a retreat from their use. This article will be added to the list of faves I strive to share on my blog.
Thanks.
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