Dear children, let us not love with word or with speech, but in ACTION and in TRUTH.
1 John 3:18
“Is there anyone who ever remembers
changing their mind from the paint on a sign?
Is there anyone who really recalls
ever breaking record off
for something someone yelled real loud one time?
Oh, everyone believes
in how they think it ought to be.
Oh, everyone believes
and they’re not going easily.”
changing their mind from the paint on a sign?
Is there anyone who really recalls
ever breaking record off
for something someone yelled real loud one time?
Oh, everyone believes
in how they think it ought to be.
Oh, everyone believes
and they’re not going easily.”
John Mayer, Belief (Lyrics)
Racial tensions are high.
Generations of unquestioned privilege are rising from the graves of our ancestors and resting on our shoulders.
So what are we going to DO about it?
I began a Facebook fast right before the shootings of #AltonSterling and #PhilandoCastile.
More than ever, did I want to add to my voice to the noise of my Facebook feed, joining in solidarity with my Black brothers and sisters. More than ever, did I want to pushback and challenge many of my White brothers and sisters with statistics and stories, often swept under the rug.
I asked myself: How am I going to enter into this conversation without Facebook?
And then it hit me…. Facebook is my platform. Facebook is the virtual means by which I step into a superior, authoritative voice and tell everyone how ignorant they are and what they should think and feel. (*enter conviction here*)
Is Facebook your platform?
You see, I’m not here to moralize Facebook… although I’m tempted to in this age of insensitivity, information overload, and performance culture. But I will say more on my current observations and thoughts during this abstinence…
THE *disguised* ISSUE: Facebook posts are not effective platforms. They probably do more harm, than good.
Facebook is an effective way to receive and share news (ideas and opinions) quickly… however, this is usually the start and stop point, when it could be the launching pad.
Regurgitating politically-colored information is not an actual response to tragedy.
Where is the actual dialogue? There is no conversation without give and take, speaking and listening. We’ve seemed to master the speaking part, but what about the listening?
Sure, posts generate likes, shares, and comments… but in my experience, they hardly lead to the speaking and listening components, essential to effective communication. A line of well-crafted computer code (AKA our text and emojis) will never be able to substitute a conversation with a living, breathing, moving, fragile heart that sits with you, raises their voice in frustration with you, cries with you, smiles with you, prays with you.
Sure, posts can encourage and inspire, agitate or stir, but only temporarily. Does genuine life transformation (regularly) occur because of some provocative Buzzfeed article you read on the Internet? In my experience, lasting transformation occurs when I enter into stories with actual people.
So let’s not trade in the power of actual conversation for some cheap headlines and filtered photographs…
THE SOLUTION: Yes, I will be so bold as to offer the solution. From a biblical perspective, “the issue” is not a Facebook issue or even a political issue, the real issue is a SIN issue.
We inhabit a fallen world. Incredibly dark, incredibly evil.
Because of sin, nothing works as it should.
Our best intentions to “keep the peace” and spread a humanitarian version of love will fall short every single time, because there is ONLY unity in Christ Jesus.
The world doesn’t need our Facebook posts, the world needs JESUS.
The only way to listen, the only way to actually love our neighbor is to love God first. God is LOVE. And LOVE will surely teach us to love one another.
“By this all people will know that you are my disciples, IF you have love for one another.” John 13:35
So, Christian. You ARE the solution.
(You’re not Jesus, but you have been called to be apart of His work. He is the solution. And YOU are His chosen means.)
Be a kingdom worker.
Love one another.
And don’t disfigure love with your political agenda. Get over yourself. STEP DOWN FROM YOUR PLATFORM! (… PAIGE!)
And please, Christian… don’t just simply “declare” your statements of love in Facebook posts and clever #hashtags. Get off your butt and go love someone (living, breathing, moving, and fragile) today. Right now, even.
Spend time especially with those who think differently than you, those who you think to be unlovely. Be uncomfortable. Put on your armor of God and go to a prayer meeting, or a community hall event, or a peaceful protest, and listen in love.
Remember, YOU know the solution.
You hold the ONLY light that will pierce this darkness.
A great example of a man who pursued LOVE in a dark time, was Martin Luther King Jr. While he delivered great speeches (word), he backed them up with an entire life’s work of pursuing LOVE (actions and truth). Thus, he gained credibility for his beliefs. His voice was not simply an emotionally-charged critique of the world. He recognized evil and injustice… AND HE DID SOMETHING ABOUT IT!
* See the verses at the top!
We need more DOers of the Word.
“For the Kingdom of God is not a matter of talk, but of power.” 1 Corinthians 4:9
Mourn with those who mourn, weep with those who weep.
I’m not interested in what you have to SAY about the condition of the world. We already know this. Things are only going to get worse. It’s time to stop being passive and apathetic. Let your banner be LOVE.
So what are we going to DO about it?
Your sister,
Paige
