In the age of social media, it is easy showcase the best version of who you may be. Posts about beautiful vacations, elaborate dining out with friends, the perfect couple photos, etc., are a dime a dozen on any social media platform. On the other end of the spectrum, some air their dirty laundry and publish grievances for all to read. Their doom and gloom mentality brings a dark cloud of complaints about a culture or people they won’t bother to truly understand. Their feed becomes a virtual boxing match where finger strokes strike blows behind a screen instead of swinging fists.
As the communications specialist at IDES, I post and manage our social media accounts. I constantly see both scenarios. It breaks my heart to see people hide behind a screen whether they appear to be happy (but are secretly depressed), or they hurl insults from their lazy boy because of their own insecurities. Like the hammer in your garage or candle in your living room, social media can be a tool to either do good or cause harm.
James shares a hard truth with the church in his book.
“With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse human beings, who have been made in God’s likeness. Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers and sisters, this should not be.” -James 3:9-10
Social media, for better or worse, makes us all more vulnerable whether we realize it or not. Vulnerability can be wonderful and healthy in the right context. In the wrong hands however, it can be a poisonous drink that makes us sick. Or worse, it make us feel less than being made in the image of God.
Last year was my first year at IDES, and it provided a lot of firsts for me. One of those was my first visit to a major disaster site. Barnsdall, OK is a town of about 1,000 people. 120 structures were damaged and 60 of them completely wiped out after an EF-4 tornado ripped through. I had seen extensive damage on TV before, but this was right in front of me. The people picking up the pieces were feet away and suddenly I was no longer behind a screen.
There, vulnerably was palpable.
I looked up and I saw someone’s mattress lofted up in a tree. I stopped and thought, “what if that was my mattress? Elevated for all to see?” This kind of vulnerability is involuntary. Social media can not accurately depict the faces and atmosphere of what truly ensues after a disaster. Even being there in person myself, it is hard to fully understand what these people feel.
Regardless of whether we see these people first hand or on a screen, I believe Christ calls us to see them through His lens. The church is called to be compassionate to the vulnerable, a light to the afflicted, and a hope to the hopeless. By seeing others as through the eyes of God, we make others feel seen, heard, and loved in a way that Christ sees us.
For all the negativity that may come in our world, it is important to remember those who are reflecting Christ in vulnerable places. Online or in person, there are always people from the church striving to meet the needs of the vulnerable in a loving way. A phrase I heard in my college Bible study often was “love sees a need and meets it”.
Next time a disaster strikes and you see it on TV or on your social media feed, I encourage you to pause and see them as Christ would in their vulnerable state. Regardless of race, region, class, or religion, choose to love where you are. And if called, go and meet their need as you are lead. Let Him renew you mind as Paul references in Romans 12:2. Then, by God’s grace will we become a people of love and compassion to the those who are vulnerable around us.
And may I note, so much joy is unlocked when we see the treasure of the image of God in other people. Therefore, let us spur each other on as we follow Christ and love our neighbors.