On how to avoid doing human things in non-human ways

Photo by Denis Cherkashin on Unsplash

[Hello Friends: This month’s article is a piece I wrote for The Christian Post back in 2019. With the exception of the first paragraph, I believe the content has only grown in relevance. It picks up on a growing trend in our world: how we have become comfortable with doing human things and very non-human ways. I hope you enjoy it.]

The news in the past several months has been troubling, especially for those in the evangelical world. From the heartbreaking sudden death of a Christian leader, to polarizing feelings expressed over the refugee crisis at the southern border, to big-platform Christian leaders leaving the faith, these are some of the stories creating conversations for those of faith. These events have elicited sadness, tragic loss, shock, confusion, and anger.

Yet as we scan and skim the headlines or the character-limited summaries online, we are left feeling that some essential piece to the existential puzzle is missing. Simply expressing our reaction to the news with an emoji seems uncomfortable and incomplete. One of the primary reasons for this is the platform on which the news is being circulated.

To be clear, there are positive aspects of communicating through social media, including efficiency and the ability to broadcast a message across oceans along with the sheer breadth of people. Social media has done a lot of good for many.

Yet, we must have an honest conversation to discuss the pitfalls of communicating over these platforms.