I joined social media over a decade ago to reconnect with friends and family I had lost touch with while crisscrossing the country for 26 years as an Army spouse. Facebook brought me easy connection; reconnecting with old friends brought me joy. When my daughter was diagnosed with a rare disease eight years ago, a Facebook support group connected me instantly with patients, caretakers, and much needed medical information. This connection made my life easier.
John 13:35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
Last month, a family I have come to know through Facebook, fell victim to a vicious social media attack about an exceedingly difficult and personal medical decision they shared online regarding their daughter’s hospice care.
Their daughter has been in a persistent vegetative state for the last four years after suffering a traumatic brain injury from a catastrophic car accident. They turned their pain into purpose by sharing their daughter’s story publicly and inviting people to pray with them nightly for miraculous healing. Their intentional act of faith has grown God’s community.
Recently they shared an update explaining an agonizing decision they made to discontinue medical interventions that have been extending her life. This decision was made through deep prayer and reflection in conjunction with their medical team after exhausting all medical avenues.
Their video message went viral triggering an unrelenting attack from keyboard Christians shooting arrows dipped in scripture aimed straight for the heart.
Romans 12:18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.
Two weeks ago, the start of the summer Olympics was overshadowed by a cacophony of angry voices outraged by a split second still, cut from the four-hour opening ceremony, that at a quick glance seemed to be a recreation of the last supper.
Christians decried the producer for mocking Christianity. They denounced the Olympic committee for approving the show. They accused the actors of blasphemy for dressing in drag.
Soon after the Olympic committee released a statement clarifying the ceremony was intended to recreate the pagan feast about the God of Dionysus, the Greek god of fertility, wine, and revelry, as a tribute to the first Olympics which had been held in Athens, Greece.
Other Christians jumped into the fray and angrily pointed their fingers at the Christians angrily pointing fingers.
Social media pulpits were aflame with “righteous” indignation.
James 4:11 Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it.
Last week my Facebook feed went viral with attacks on a woman boxer who felled an opponent. A heart wrenching photo of her opponent kneeling on the mat in tears propelled a social media frenzy.
Articles circulated stating the winning athlete had been disqualified from a previous competition for testing outside normal testosterone limits for a woman. Unverified information was shared that the athlete was intersex and was born with the physical anatomy of a female but carried a male and a female chromosome.
Keyboard instigators quickly attacked the “woke” agenda of the IOC for allowing men to compete as women. Outraged followers started flooding social media platforms with memes of Mike Tyson’s head atop the athlete’s body. People started personally attacking the character of the athlete for having the audacity to compete as a woman.
Within a few hours of the outcry, the Olympic committee released a statement that indicated the athlete was listed as a woman on her birth certificate. They noted she had always competed as a woman. They questioned the validity of the test results from the previous competition and pointed to a notable conflict of interest by the board that was responsible for validating the test results. They indicated the athlete passed all qualifying tests for competing in the Olympics.
A mixed record of wins and losses since 2016 belies an unfair physical advantage. An Olympian’s victory was tainted by rumor, innuendo, and a rush to judgment.
1 Corinthians 13: 4 -7 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs, Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
Eight years later, I have a vastly different view of social media. What began as a medium to bring people together has become a weapon used to sow division. Political strategists playing to religious zealotry have hijacked the platform to promote divisive agendas. At a time when our world is in desperate need of Christians to reflect Christ’s love, we are failing his call. We are prioritizing pulpits over people, proselytizing judgment as truth, and choosing condemnation over care. We are confusing angry rebuttal with righteous engagement.
Jesus calls us to love each other not judge each other. If we hope to grow disciples for Jesus, it starts by being better disciples of Jesus.
.PNG)
