My heart broke again today as I learned that Zelda, Robin Williams' daughter, was run off from her social media accounts due to the harassment and negative messages she was receiving from others. It is absolutely unacceptable that she should receive anything at all other than love and support. What the heck is wrong with people?
Then I see this video in which a Pastor calls out those rioting in the streets of Ferguson, Missouri and the African American leaders who show up for the press conferences, but then disassociate themselves from their own communities. While the Pastor is addressing exclusively the African American community in his message, I can't help but feel that his message is one that applies to all of us. If you watch the video, it's intense, but you'll understand. Don't think that message just applies to one group of people - it applies to all of us.
You see, social media, in my opinion, has led to the breakdown in respect for all authority. Social media makes you a leader without earning it. How many friends or followers we have gives us this false sense of authority and leadership. You gain followers, friends, and likes -- for what? Posting a duck-face selfie? I'm not opposed to duck faced selfies, I just can't pull it off.
In fact, when I take a photo, I delete it if I wouldn't put it on Facebook.
Remember when you took pictures and what you got is what you got? I have practically a whole envelope of pictures from Myrtle Beach with my thumb in each photo.
The opposite is also true. No likes equates with no one likes me or cares about me. No event invitations means no one wants me. It becomes a deeply felt rejection. No likes on my photo means I'm ugly.
Social media has also given us a platform to post our expert opinions regardless of whether or not we are experts in the matter. This has led us to unprecedented narcissism on a mass scale. How many likes we get equates with how right we are. I remember being in a debate once - a friendly exchange, but nonetheless a debate - and those who were reading our comments were "liking" the comment they agreed with. If the other person had more likes than I did, I felt in some way I had lost the argument. If I had more likes, I equated it with victory!
This. Is. Insane!!!!!
In every hot topic issue these days, all of a sudden EVERYONE is an expert. Our experiences all of a sudden are scientific data. Our feelings equate with truth and no one can sift through to find the flaws in our logic or statements because this is "our" Facebook page and we will just delete your comments or unfriend you. *Not me, I am speaking in general. I've only ever unfriended a couple of people and it wasn't because they disagreed with me, it was because of harassment.* I welcome friendly disagreements and intellectual debates. The unfortunate thing is that nowadays our only research to form opinions seems to rest entirely on what "most people" believe. Very few have a conviction that they stand by - as soon as everyone starts changing their profile picture, they jump on the bandwagon even if they have no idea what it means! At one point, "most people" believed the earth was flat. Popular opinion is not always right, and in fact given the recent mass hysteria we have seen in so many news stories of late, we can see it is often wrong. People react, then defend their feelings on the matter, then maybe, maybe do some research. We have seen a total breakdown in critical thinking.
We conduct ourselves in the most asinine ways on social media sometimes. People have the guts, carelessness, motivation, impulsiveness, drive, whatever it's called, to say things in a manner that they would never say face to face. Sometimes it is in the name of "truth". Sometimes it is in the name of religion or creed. Sometimes it is meant to genuinely enlighten someone, but because of the venom with which it is written it can't be seriously taken. And don't get me started on the passive aggressive postings which are posted with enough ambiguity to let us feel innocent of calling someone out, but enough bait to draw them in and tick them off.
OY.
So.....
I didn't write this post just to spew a bunch of venomous feelings and opinions and duck faced selfies.
I am writing this post to challenge us to take our message to the streets, in essence. Get out from behind our social media faces and actually be real friends with real people.
Our son embarrassed us today by yelling out "That lady is SCARY!". "That Lady" was within earshot and we immediately shushed him and explained that we don't say those things about people.
"Why?" he asked.
"Because that lady is God's kid."
That person that is really saying some inciteful, not insightful, things is God's kid.
That person who is posting their love for everything you deem wrong in the world, is God's kid.
That person who annoys you in real life and virtual life, is God's kid.
Instead of talking about what's wrong with the world, let's BE what is right in the world. Like the Pastor in the video above said... WE have to change US.
Rather than try to convince someone that he or she is wrong on a subject, let's start practicing charity. Let's ask ourselves, would I say this, in this way, to this person if they were standing right in front of me? And if it gets heated, as the Pastor says, HUMBLE thyself, and back down.
And please don't say, "I'll pray for you."
Just do it.
Then you can giggle sneakily and say, "Hehehe, I prayed for that person and they didn't even know it!"
Especially if you profess to love the Lord, let your truths be laced in virtue. God is love. Sure, He turned over tables. But He also loved people - not the fluffy everything-you-do-is-great-you're-so-great kind of love, but the love that caused people to change because with all their hearts they wanted the kind of love that loved them where they were at, but challenged them to be better. I'm not advocating tolerance. Tolerance is the inadequate substitute for love and often very much the opposite. Tolerance says, just do your thing, I don't care, you can't strive for more or better. Love says you are worth so much and while I may not agree with you or your choices, I have the utmost care for you as a child of God.
Emotional posts from someone who is just really praying for more love in this broken-hearted world.
Love you all,
Noelle
No comments:
Post a Comment