Equal Parts Revelation and Comfort.

    When God speaks truth to me, I want to share it with everyone I know. It's always exciting to receive a revelation, but God's truth brings more comfort to me than anything right now because truth is rare 2021.  I love sharing the truth I find and the comfort I feel. 

    I fancy myself a storyteller and go straight to social media to "share" the message. For the past decade it has been ridiculously easy to get stories out into the world. But right now, everything online feels out of line.

    Back in the age of printed media, if storytellers wanted to share a message, they had to work for it. They spent years writing, editing and refining their stories, then they sought out publishing companies in hopes that some executive considered their message worth seeing or reading. Today, social media makes everything easy for everybody. Maybe too easy. Nearly everyone has a voice whether their message is worth being heard or not. 

Today, I thought, “God, how do I get a good message out “there” without social media?" 

He replied:

“I spread my word across the globe without social media.”

Ok. I see what you did there, JC.

    Obviously, times are very different in 2021 than during Jesus’ time on earth, but I have to wonder, if He had access to social media, would he have used it? Jesus took a radical approach in how he "published" his Gospel to the masses. The very message of God’s love is deeply personal in nature. If He had the ability to spread His message without being with His people, I don't think it would have meant as much or have had such a powerful impact. The Gospel was spread to people on foot and was shared with words spoken in hope and hands that healed. 

Jesus’ way of life and death became “viral” across the globe, not because it was available on a digital format or quickly spread to the masses, but because the idea of unrelenting kindness, mercy and grace were radical ideas for His time.

They are radical ideas in our current time.

    So, should we nix social media altogether? I’m not sure. I think it still serves a purpose. Romans 8:28 reminds us that God works all things together for His good, according to His purpose. But, maybe we have allowed social media to narrow the scope of how we see God's vision and power. The power of God's message isn't limited to the internet. Furthermore, if we share our deeds online, that doesn't add value to the act of what we do in His name, or make it any more special. Miracles happened before they were shared on social media, and they will still happen even after it is long gone. Maybe we have relied too heavily on spreading the message of the Gospel on the internet instead of with our hands and feet.