Social media has a death grip on our culture. And the Christian sub-culture is no less addicted to the lure and illusion of the perceived anonymity of “free speech” that it brings to bear. We in the Christian West have been swept up in the frenzy of the 24-hour news cycle and the instantaneous gratification of getting our opinion “out there” for the world to know. However, the self ascribed freedom that Facebook and Twitter brings to the common person is not without sacrifice.

As believers we are called to a higher level of civility and discourse that often is displayed on social media.  And I am not talking about the endless animal videos or recipes that invade our news feeds. I am talking about larger issues. Issues like the Stanford rape case, the endless election cycles of public officials, and yes, even the thorny issue of race relations in this country. These are large issues that require a level of discourse that moves away from name calling and juvenile videos that demonize an opinion not our own .This is happening within the body, and frankly, it is disgraceful! How are we to win others to a fulfilled life of knowing God when the fruit of our “knowledge” of Him is no less horrendous than that of our snarky, wayward friends and family?

Political or social anger does not trump our call and obedience toward a deep abiding love that respects those that disagree with our opinions. Either way, we as Christians WILL leave a mark on our society  via our use and misuse of the technology we are given.  Let us steward these advances well, and worthy of our calling.