There’s a storm raging. Every time I open Facebook or log on to Twitter, I’m confronted by a powerful mix of pain, anger, frustration, jubilation, celebration, you name it. Online spaces like these are the narrow point of our collective consciousness and offer the chance to imbibe a concentrated dose of culture. Fasten your seat belts–turbulence ahead.
Entering these spaces in an intentionally Christian way can be difficult. Each of us has our opinions and our convictions. Each of us has our story, which usually is the source from which our opinions and convictions spring.
We all enter from different places, to different places.
As we enter–at least, those who are claimed by Christ–we must enter with a word of peace. “Peace to all here.” It’s unlikely that anything good, for us or for our conversation partners, will occur in the absence of this fundamental posture of good will. Taking the time to pray/wish/express peace to all here as you log onto a social media site could be a spiritual discipline that serves to orient you as you enter a contentious space.
Give it a try and let me know how it goes.
Jeff Gissing 