I have to say, I am not real fond of text, twitter, facebook and all the rest, including this blog, as the only form of communication. These can be good supplements to “face to face” but just that supplement. These forms of communication I believe should be used to give out information but NOT to have conversation. That being said, yes I participate in conversation in these and including this blog. I try to be as careful as possible in these conversations.
One of the issues I have seen in these other forms of communications, is the difficulty in expressing the same nuance of ideas as done in verbal communication. We have had written communication for a long time but once it is written, it takes on its own meanings based upon the reader.
Back to Facebook and the others I mentioned. They are often quickly posted to “hot topics” topics of self or others that often seem to be aimed at gaining attention towards one’s self, even when it is about someone else. Below is a something that I received via email from a newsletter I am subscribed to. I found it to be very interesting. I received permission to post this on my blog.
Thumbs Down
The Romans had the practice of using thumbs up and thumbs down to decide democratically whether someone should live or die. Early Christians were subjected to this system. Now, Christians have accepted and are willfully using the same system to judge virtually everything anyone does or says. Social media ask us to render a judgment about anything and everything and everyone. Thumbs up/thumbs down; like/dislike; friend or not; insider or outsider; accepted or rejected. Facebook historically began with a Whos hot; whos not? head to head comparison of female students at Harvard without their consent. It was a boundary violation for the amusement of a few.
So how does this ubiquitous practice of judging help us live the Gospel? Quite the opposite. Judge not, we are told. By judging less, we may be able to discern more.
Have you helped your congregation learn to abstain from this practice of online, social media judgments as being unloving toward each other and toward strangers? Many Christians would easily understand the value of abstaining from such judgments and we will all benefit from stopping it.
Posted with permission of the Author, Arden Mahlberg
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