I haven't blogged in quite a while, and for my readership of three people, I'm sure that's a disappointment. :-) I've been wanting to blog since the beginning of Lent, but really haven't found the time. And now, on the eve of Daylight Savings Time, when I know I will suddenly have one less hour of time, I am choosing to blog.
Here's what I've been thinking about: In the world of social media (Facebook, Twitter, etc.), we post instantly, and all of our "friends" or "followers" can see what we're up to on their newsfeeds. Most of the time, the broadcasting doesn't bother me. I like to read about what's happening in my friends' lives.
However, as I was preparing to preach on Ash Wednesday, I noticed that the newsfeed bothered me. In an effort to challenge myself on the Ash Wednesday texts from the daily readings, I chose to preach on Matthew 6:1-6 and 16-21. As I read and prayed over the text for the week leading up to Ash Wednesday, Jesus' words about acts of piety gnawed at me: "when you pray....fast...give alms....do it in private." (my interpretation of the text). For each work of piety, Jesus teaches the disciples to do it in "secret."
Contrast that with the number of people who, in the days leading up to the beginning of Lent, posted on their Twitter feeds or Facebook walls what they were going to give up for Lent....or take on for Lent. The Lenten practice of taking on or giving up something for Lent is intended, like any work of piety, to draw us closer to God. Are we drawing closer to God when we post our Lenten practice for the world to see? How does that cause us to live out this text from Matthew 6, and to live into Jesus' directive?
May the rest of your Lent cause you to grow in grace toward God and your neighbor.
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1 comment:
I must not be one of your three consistent readers..:)..but my concern of facebook is the same as you. Are we becoming a society that needs to post everything that we are doing for the eyes of all our friends to see. I have been taking a giant step back on that due to the new policy of "close friends" on facebook that allows everyone to see everything you do on this site. Every comment, like, post can be seen by everyone that clicks you as a close friend whether you are or not. There is a much deeper problem here and it involves what we are and where we are going. It is my sincere hope that this is a fad like the beanie babies. May facebook fade into the wind, and may we start communicating face to face again.
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