by Emily Finn
Sharing little pieces of our lives and families on social media is good—the joy found in the everyday life of the Christian should be shared! An ordinary life lived for Jesus Christ can be the most effective way to witness God’s love to the people around us. Directly posting or commenting online about issues of faith and culture, though, can be nerve-wracking and tougher to navigate. The impulse to react with outrage and frustration to viewpoints contrary to the Gospel is natural to most of us, as is the desire to remain silent rather than risk saying the wrong thing. We are called to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with the world, though! So how can we do that effectively on social media? Pausing and asking yourself these questions before posting anything can help empower you to speak boldly about God’s love and all He has done for you, without potentially alienating anyone who may dearly need to hear the Gospel.
Is this an invitation or a condemnation?
The Gospel is always Good News! The Gospel is always, always, always Good News. When we post something faith-related on social media, let us always frame it as an invitation into the life of abundant love and goodness that Jesus Christ has waiting for each of us. The Lord never points out our brokenness and wounds without also offering us healing. He wants to restore us to wholeness, to right relationship with Himself and with each other. If what we post can be read merely as a condemnation, without an invitation to the freedom and hope found in Jesus, then we are selling the Gospel short.
What are the fruits of this post or comment?
“The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). By contrast, the works of the flesh are “enmity, strife, jealousy, anger, selfishness, envy” (Galatians 5:19). By posting something or making a comment, are we sowing good fruit? This doesn’t necessarily mean “keeping the peace” by not speaking up and remaining silent. This can mean that our contribution to a discussion helps to create peace, kindness, goodness where it didn’t exist before. If our comment or post is from the prompting of the Holy Spirit, we will know it by its good fruit.
Am I speaking in charity?
Jesus Christ loves and desires the people we disagree with just as much as he loves and desires us. Name-calling, attacks on character, mean-spiritedness, anger—all violations of charity are opposed to the Gospel and harm our souls as much as they violate the dignity of the people on the receiving end. Every person on social media, every person reading what we write, has their own story, and we are all on a journey back to full communion with God. Let’s root for the good of the people we disagree with, and honor their Creator by speaking to them and of them with love and charity. “This is how all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35).
“Do not accept anything as the truth if it lacks love. And do not accept anything as love which lacks truth! One without the other becomes a destructive lie.”
These words by Pope St. John Paul II serve as a useful gut-check before posting anything. They’re a pretty great gut-check before speaking and acting in-person as well! Is this really truthful? Is it really loving? If one or the other is lacking, do not accept it! This applies to the faith, to culture, to politics, to society. Check your gut before you post anything that could potentially be divisive, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you discern if both truth and love are present in what you say.
If someone comes to your social media page and knows immediately that you are Catholic, let it be because of your love. Let it be because your life speaks of the goodness of God, of what He has done for you and how He has changed your heart, even if you are not explicitly mentioning God at all. Let’s also always remember that we are created for relationship—a conversation started on social media will always bear better fruit if it is moved offline and becomes personal. The most effective witness we can bear to the power of God’s love is by extending it to the people around us and walking with them on their journeys. May your life and your heart be so overflowing with the love of God and the peace that comes from knowing Him that anyone who encounters you also encounters God.