Once again, a facebook posting has provided blog fodder. This time, the issue in question is if one can assess the level of another's spirituality by examining the content of that person's facebook page. I am not talking about drawing a reasonable conclusion that someone whose page is filled with drug references, salacious shots of themselves in various stages of undress and party tales is probably not walking very close to Jesus at that particular moment. Nor am I saying that one could not conclude that someone who repeatedly posts items mocking others has a bit of a ways to go in becoming more like Jesus. No, the whole underlying assumption is, if I got this right, that the more one's posts talk overtly about God, then the more spiritual that person probably is. Really??? I don't know about that. I don't know that God has a problem if we digress off onto interesting news items, silly plays on words, movie reviews, "guess the song lyrics" statuses (my personal fave) and other postings that don't necessarily scream "Jesus" in capital letters.
This whole thing is a takeoff on the oft heard mantra that you can tell a man/woman's priorities if you take a peek at their calendar or at their checkbook. Really, it sounds good, but I'm not sure that you can over simplify like that. Especially with the calendar. I do think that the checkbook might be more telling since Jesus speaks so pointedly in so many places about material goods and the value or lack thereof of them. But the calendar or the facebook page? Hmmmmm. Not quite so clear cut.
Is the person who reads nothing but Christian books; never anything just for the fun of it more "spiritual" than the person who considers that God created good things for our pleasure? Is the person who chit chats with one's Christian brothers and sisters about matters not directly pertaining to church less spiritual than the person who brings every conversation around to a Bible verse? Again: I'm not so sure. Now, I gotta say, speaking for myself, God is so interwoven into my life, that He is never very far from my mind and if I am talking about something good in my life, the gratitude or the story about how God worked in that is also probably not very far away. But I'm not trying to do so. And I don't feel like I'm neglecting God or making an idol of something else if a good ten or fifteen minutes of conversation pass about "trivial" matters.
I was actually just gonna put this in the string on this person's facebook page, but then I thought I had way more to say than would be right to hog up someone's feed with. I also felt kinda, well, intrusive. Maybe maybe not. Just needing to vent is all.
What do you think?
I think it is possible to glimpse a person's spiritual health by what they post on facebook. If the biblical teaching is that people will know we are Christians by our love, and Jesus taught that the two greatest commandments were to love God and love others, then love should be our litmus test.
ReplyDeleteDo our status updates reflect love? Or are they filled with spite, anger, or deceit? We don't have to shout "JESUS" at every given moment to display how he's working in our lives.
That being said, I don't think it's an exact science. And I do not claim any level of perfection here. Just a thought.
I would think Facebook, or being a fly on the wall, twitter checking, or just spending time with someone gives you a pretty good idea of where their heart is at. So if someone were to look at any of these things, they could make a pretty good guess at what you idolize, what you merely do because you enjoy it, and what you love and hate. So for example, I used to get fired up about politics. I would post things about politics all the time, struggle with keeping my cool about it, get into downright uncivil flame wars about it, etc. Until one day I got convicted that I was putting a large % of my very finite time into arguing, gossiping, backbiting political folks I dont personally know, and being downright hateful and angry. My heart changed. I no longer do that. I am still heavily TEMPTED to do it. But I generally resist the Devil now so he'll flee in that area.
ReplyDeleteBut if you looked at my page at that time frame, you would think I was a mean, nasty person. I have since pretty much tried to use Facebook to keep abreast of friends developments, witness a bit, and generally post things to encourage people and make them think and try to point them to Jesus. So hopefully, that is a better use of my heart and hands. I do however like to post Random oddball movie quotes and inane jokes when they strike- Good Blog ! Keep it up!
Oh, I definitely think that the TONE of what people post can give you a good idea of their spiritual state, especially if it is a constant thing. Of course I have posted a political article in a moment of frustration and then it takes on a life of it's own.
ReplyDeleteI think I was referring specifically to an assumption that one might make that someone isn't very spiritual because most of what they post is not overtly church or Bible related.
Sometimes, truthfully, I"ve even seen people who post nothing but endless Christian stuff are not really that spiritually mature in real life. Maybe because they think the Christian life is about nothing more than plugging in the old with something "Christian"??? I guess that's why I don't use that particular measuring stick.
But yeah, if someone is consistantly angry, that probably is very telling. What I particularly was convicted of was posting news items mocking people for their stupidity. Geez, these people need help, not everyone getting their momentary fix of feeling just a teeny bit better because they would never do something like that. Not saying something isn't so outrageous that I post it (such as the guy touring the country with his mannequin "wife") but I try and keep them few and I also try to not make fun of people in so doing.
I'm sorry but I am sort of SICK of some of the glossy Christian postings on FB. They seem so sterile--a pasted verse, promise from God, warning of hell, cursed if you don't repent warning... Actually, I hate them. So there--I said it.
ReplyDeleteAnd yes, FB can be dangerous, but it's fun and I love it. God created FB.
I lost a friendship last week because of my public rebuke on FB. But the rebuke was for destructive behavior going on for years that will kill soon if not faced. My husband thought it cruel to post it publicly. I don't.
And I agree that soloing your life experiences and sharings to only Christian genres is just not normal!
GREAT post Liz!
Yeah, I hate to say it but more often than not there is an inverse relationship to the amount of "God talk" posted on facebook and how truly CHristian the person is. Maybe they are trying to convince themselves?
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