SOCIAL MEDIA

Social Media

Contemporary humanity has come a long way in the area of communications. Marathon running messengers, smoke signallers, galloping pony expressers, telegraphers, and even telephoners have all been left behind by the advent of social media. Now we have instant communication with people all over the globe via a computer keyboard. Who’d have thought? Yet what they call ‘Social Media’ may sometimes more accurately be named anti-social media. Without the benefit of facial cues, body language and/or voice tone, misunderstandings abound. And then there are those on the internet who just like to argue for argument’s sake. ‘Keyboard warriors’ are legion, keeping others straight on all things pertaining to Political Correctness. One unrestrained online rant or even one poor turn of phrase can destroy your social standing. As far as social media is concerned, getting behind a computer keyboard for some people is like getting behind the steering wheel of a car. Sometimes it can bring out the worst in you!

The internet can be seen as an extension of who you are. What you view, say and do on there is your reflection in a mirror. It’s your face in cyberspace. Some try to embellish that reflection of self. Whether behind the keyboard tilting at the windmills of politics and/or religion, whether portraying your life to friends as all rosy in the garden, you are expressing who you are to others. You are expressing your character.

Hypothetically, how would God express Himself were He on social media? Would He angrily thump out messages on His keyboard to correct people whose opinions He disagreed with? Would He portray Himself as someone better and more successful than He really is? Scripture says, ‘God is not human, that He should lie’ Numbers 23:19a. The idea here is that, unlike us, whether talking about Himself or talking to or about us, God always tells it like it is.

God already has expressed His own character, not on a computer keyboard, but on two tablets of stone. ‘He gave Moses two tablets of the Testimony, tablets of stone, written with the finger of God.’ Exodus 31:18b. These, of course, are the famous Ten Commandments, the first four of which teach our duty towards God, and the last six our duty towards each other. We are to love God with all our heart, soul, strength and mind, and we are to love our neighbour as our self. Why don’t we always behave this way when we’re on social media! For the sake of the following exercise substitute the word ‘computer keyboard’ for ‘tongue’ in the following: ‘With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.’ James 3:9-10.

If we were to add it all together we would see that, according to Scripture, a) We are the likeness of God. b) God’s likeness (or character) is expressed in the Decalogue. And c) We don’t always reflect God’s likeness (or character). This is what the Bible means by sin. ‘Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness.’1 John 3:4. What law are we breaking? The one that was written by the finger of God.

Next time you’re about to engage on social media remember the Good News that, ‘Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.’