On Why I deleted my Political FB Post
It seems there is a breaking news story being told daily which has my head shaking, and no story had my blood boiling more than what took place in New York last week. I read the news that morning and went on to spend WAY TOO MUCH time reading article after article and listening to commentaries on the subject. Eventually, I planted myself on the worst of all news sources, Social Media. I was obsessed. I scrolled, and clicked, and liked, and disliked my way through all the posts, all the comments, all the news clips aimed right at people like me.
Bait, click, read, thumb-down emoji.
Bait, click, read, cry-face emoji.
Bait, click, watch, angry-face emoji.
I. Could. Not. Stop.
Soon enough, I knew I needed to join the ranks. People needed to know how Sarah Fitzpatrick felt about this matter. SOMEONE MIGHT READ MY POST AND BE CHANGED!
I posted.
Shockingly, no one was changed.
A day or so went by and I took the post down, but not because I wasn't changing any lives, though I clearly wasn't, but because I had made three BIG mistakes. (And probably a few more, but let's stay focused here).
I used the words "Pure Evil" as the sentence opener. Those words immediately put people who disagree with my view on the defense. Those are words that isolate, alienate, fold arms across chests, roll eyes and end a conversation before it even begins.
Proverbs 12:18 "There is one whose rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing."
I'm going to go ahead and assume my words did not bring anyone healing that day, no matter how they felt about the issue at hand.
If I want to start a conversation with someone who disagrees with my opinion, Social Media is NOT the place to do it. I would've been much better off messaging, emailing, (or I dunno maybe even calling??) my friends that I know are on "the other side" and starting a conversation, so they can hear me out, and I them. Because the greatest tool we have in our differences is our ability to TALK about them, without a world of people chiming in.
Another thought on evil: I believe in the one, perfect, Holy God. EVERYTHING outside of His perfection, is sin, is evil. EVERYTHING. Psalm 97:10 says if you love the Lord then hate evil. Nobody likes that word though, evil, it has such a darkness to it (and rightfully so!) but nobody hates it more than God. That's why Jesus is SO necessary, to take our resume of evil and replace it with His perfection.
Romans 5:8 "But God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
Mistake #2
My post pinned two people against each other. Two people that both know me, but don't know each other at all. Two people that if they had met, say, at my birthday party, over a cheese platter and vanilla tea, they probably would've really liked one another. But because my controversial post was divisive, they both undoubtedly entertained extreme ideas about the other without ever having spoken to one another in their lives.
Proverbs 15:1 "A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."
This verse is the perfect depiction of what most social media posts on controversial issues do, stir up anger. And mine certainly did. My post was a pot of hot, angry, opinionated emotions and I was the chef, using my stick called Facebook to stir an already boiling issue. Unhelpful, and unnecessary.
As one who calls myself a follower of Christ, my aim is to bring others IN. How in the world can I accomplish that if I divide, and push others OUT? This is not to say that I shouldn't take a stance on "hot" issues. This is not to say that I will not say things that are offensive, or controversial. Jesus was quite controversial himself. I will stand for what I believe is right. But there is a productive way and a pointless way to do that.
Mistake #3 (The BIGGEST)
Posting what I did, how I did, and why I did, did NOT accurately speak of my absolute trust and hope in God. In fact, it more spoke of a fear of what's to come. I fell head first into the temptation to ask, "What is this world coming to??" but I KNOW what this world is coming to! I've put all of my hope and trust in the accuracy of the Bible! Nothing added to it. Nothing taken away from it. And I've read the ending, I know it's going to get bad and then really bad, and then worse, but I KNOW HOW IT ENDS!
There is absolutely no reason to be shaken. No reason to worry or fret, (or stir pots) over the craziness in the daily news. From coast to coast it's all pretty nutty these days! But friends, our hope isn't in worldly good news, it's in an out-of-this-world Good News!
John 16:33 " I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.”
I learned a lot from my trip down Political Posting Lane. The message my heart wanted to send was not the message that was sent, or received. It is worth the time to think Biblically, eternally, lovingly, and respectfully. Social media DOES have the power to start discussions and can change minds. It's a powerful platform, that's why 3.196 billion use it. The mission, should one choose to accept it, is to use it well, use it wisely.
PS. For some GREAT info on using Social Media WISELY, watch this talk...
Watch This talk on Social Media, Stephanie is brilliant and says everything a bajillion times better than I can.
Comments