Friday, August 15, 2008

Facebook for Jesus?

I have come to actually quite like facebook. I (like many other people) probably waste/spend more time on it than is really warranted, but it has allowed me to maintain and develop some good friendships.
At the same time it can be a little concerning in other ways.
As a former youth pastor and camp guy I see a lot of stuff on the profiles of some young people that I wish weren't there. Constant references to getting drunk, sex, drugs, and the like are discouraging. Sometimes I wonder if I should send a message asking about what's really going on with people who I still think could be involved in something much more meaningful and fulfilling. A couple times I have sent those messages and gotten no response, and wondered if I made a mistake...
Today I came across an article about the use of facebook as an evangelistic tool. I'm not sure what I think entirely. I agree with some of the points the author makes about it being a great way to connect with people who have become distant and I have also had experiences where I think those connections have led to some valuable spiritual interaction. There is an opportunity here to engage with people through another media that creates possibilities.
I guess my frustration is with the mindset that thinks we should be careful and selective about what we post so we can best interest people in getting to know Jesus. At one level that makes sense, but at another it suggests that our spirituality is somehow compartmentalised and we should omit those aspects of our lives that don't fit with it when we go public.
I'd much rather that our editorial efforts were made at the level of our real lives, rather than our cyber ones.
Making facebook so strategic and selective puts me in mind of people and organizations who approach evangelism as a program and tactic. We train in the right presentations and responses that will eradicate people's defences and allow us to convince them to accept our Jesus. I was deep in that subculture for many years and am glad to be outside of it now.
The Christian message is about so much more than a brief formulaic call to repentance. I would hope that my friends on facebook who identify themselves as Christians can be bold enough to be sincere in that forum, just as I hope for us all to be in every aspect of life. I suspect that will ultimately better reflect the variety and complexity of God's work among us as we try to respond faithfully to the ways Jesus is revealed.

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