The Dark Side of Social Media and SMO

     Today I read a very offensive political link-post which was shared by a Facebook friend.  I won't get into the vulgarities throughout the offensive blog; basically the premise was directed at the readers of her very own political party telling them that if you didn't vote her way (or vote at all) that you were a waste of oxygen (I'm paraphrasing here).  The blog was belittling, it was vulgar, it was demeaning, it was intolerant.  I'm not sure what made me angrier:  that someone could be filled with this much bitterness, intolerance and hatred; or the disappointment I felt in my friend who posted the link.
     Does that blogger have the right to post this vitriol?  Yes, that is the very definition of tolerance.  Is her hatred and intolerance the best way to win converts and promote positivity and change in other people's lives?  Not in my opinion.
     I've made enough mistakes on Facebook to tell you that when you post a overtly negative post on social media, one of three things, or a combination of the three things, happens:  1)  You get 'likes' or comments from people who agree with you.  2). You get no comments and/or responses (sometimes this can be the worst), or 3) You get opposed.  Social Media Opposition or SMO can take anywhere from an hour to a couple of years (or longer) depending on the severity, timing of the post and the number of people involved.
     Quite frankly, I don't have the time or the stress level to consciously go off on somebody or something publicly on social media.  The moments, minutes and hours after I submit such a post leave me with a huge knot in my stomach, second-guessing, loss of sleep and, in many cases, SMO.
     So what is the answer?  At first I thought it was to severely limit my intake of social media, but I was wrong.  There is a still a time and place for face-to-face social interaction, but I must confess that I have been deliberately complacent in respect to social media over the past couple of years in lieu of the "old ways." I need to avoid the stagnant waters of my own complacency and indifference against social media and reach out to those who seek Facebook or Twitter as their primary source of interaction.
     While there is a dark side to social media, there is also a light side best laid out by the Biblical fruits of the Spirit:  love, joy peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.  Our desire should be to love rather than hate, uplift, rather than tear down, bear another's burdens rather than seeking self promotion.
     Moreover, it is a far better thing that my life be a living testimony of the love that is inside of me, rather than engaging in bitter public quarrels with whose values or morals are opposed to mine.  One loving word can make more of a difference than a thousand bitter ones.  As darkness tries to stake its claim in our hearts and on our keyboards, let us voice our own SMO:  against those who wish to embitters our spirits and extinguish our love.  And may the greatest thing that remains be love.
   

Spontaneous Bellevue, WA Panoramics

      I don't normally drive to the Eastside of King County on a weekday.  But Kristin wanted to attend an evening conference in Redmond and asked that I leave work early so that she could make it on time.
     Bellevue, like Seattle is in the midst of a huge building boom.  I dropped Kristin off in Redmond and took the short trip down the 520 to Bellevue to go to the book store and the mall.  I soon discovered that most of downtown Bellevue's 106th St NE was pay parking (including Barnes and Nobles), so rather than paying for parking, I parked five blocks south at the 'free' parking lot where the old Christian bookstore used to be.  Walking back north with Asher, I noticed the old and new high rises coming together.   I was a beautiful and mild Wednesday evening with the sun still bright in the sky, but angling quickly out of view.  I pulled out my iPhone and tried my hand at panoramics.
    What a beautiful evening!  The panoramics turned out great, Asher did an impromptu run through the fancy fountain puddles on 106th St.  NE and NE 6th (I let down my guard and did the same), and we had a good time at the Bellevue Square mall later.
     The takeaway of this blog is:  when you put your mind to something and come together and do it, you can make beautiful things, be it skyscrapers or memories.

U2, and Bono and Eugene Peterson The Psalms

     I have a confession:  I’ve never connected with the music of U2.  

     I love music.  I love all kinds of music styles and love seeking out old and new treasures whenever I am able.  I love sharing music with my friends and family when a song or album inspires me.  However just like one song or album inspires one person and is met with indifference with another person, so are my feelings with this mega-popular band from Ireland.  It’s just personal preference.    

Before and after I became a Christian, time and time again, over and over, I’ve seen and read articles telling me how great and profound singer/songwriter Bono and the band U2 is.  Music artists and writers of all kinds list keep coming back to this one particular band as one that has greatly influenced them.  As a fellow music lover and musician, I can empathize with these people and attest to music and musicians that has stirred my soul and influenced my thinking.  

     But I also remember switching the radio station as a teenager any time the song “Desire” came on the airwaves.  I remember being put off when I watched the music video “Numb.”  

     And more recently, I removed the album “Songs of Innocence” from my itunes collection after Bono had the audacity to violate privacy protocol by simply dumping his album into hundreds of thousands of iphones.  It is one thing to disagree with one’s musical preference, even to the point of trying to get someone to change their mind.  It is quite another to forcibly and deceitfully import your music into my playlist because you are convinced that I need you.    

                                                                                 ***

     There is a 2016 viral You-tube video out there right now called “Bono and Eugene Peterson/ THE PSALMS.”  It is about the Psalm section of Eugene Peterson’s The Message Bible which is basically the Bible translated into modern terms.  The body of the video is an interview with Bono and Peterson and how this version of the Bible inspired Bono in much of his more recent song writing and lifestyle. It has come up a half dozen times on my Facebook feed, and I finally decided recently to watch it.   

     The 21-minute video has the “Sunday Morning” program flow and interview style that I quite enjoy, albeit the pre-interview filler was unimpressive.  There was the obviously ‘planted’ stack of U2 CD’s in Peterson’s living room.  And then there was an old clip of a TV host interviewing Peterson and asking him the question:  “How COULD you decline an audience with the great and powerful Bono?”  I’m paraphrasing here.  

     The interview itself starts out alright and ends alright.  Bono mentions how Peterson’s interpretation, especially the Psalms, inspired him and his more recent music.  He mentioned a concert closing song with was inspired by Psalm 40 and even sang an impromptu version of “Psalm 23” at the kitchen table where they were being interviewed.  The best part of the whole movie was the last scene where the interview was concluded and Bono was departing, jogging up the outside steps of the Peterson’s home.  “Don’t run,” implored Mrs. Peterson, and Bono, with a big smile on his face, slowed his pace to a deliberate walk.  

     However during the body of the interview, Bono said something that has caused waves on social media:  “I’m talking about dishonesty that I find a lot in Christian art.  A lot of dishonesty.  And I think it’s a shame because these are people who are vulnerable to God - in a good way - vulnerable.  I mean porous open.  I would love if this conversation would inspire people who are writing [with] these beautiful voices, these beautiful gospel songs [to] write a song about their bad marriage.  Write a song about how they’re pissed off at the government.  Because that’s what God wants from you...Why I’m suspicious of Christians is because of this lack of realism.  And I’d like to see more of that in life and in art and in music.”  

     Most of the replies have been apologetic to Bono:  “Bono obviously hasn’t heard about [insert musician/band].”  My reaction is a bit different:  Maybe it’s none of Bono’s business.  

     Let’s take the bad marriage bit.  Airing your dirty laundry might make you a rock star but it also makes you a gossip.  And it won’t help your marriage in the slightest.  Both the husband and wife who are experience a bad marriage are obviously hurting; what is needed in these times are the prayer closet conversations with God, conversations with each other and perhaps conversations with a tight-knit group of close friends.  Again, unless Bono is personally involved with one of these hurting couples, it really is none of his business.  

     I don’t think “dishonesty” is the right word for Bono to use.  We live in an era where we have practically unlimited access, through social media, to connect with each other. Even if a song glorifies God but doesn’t reveal the human traits of the author, don’t the majority of these individuals include their own personal testimonies on their social media pages?  And for those who don’t, or don’t use social media at all, isn’t it still their freedom and right to open up as they see fit?  Just because something is kept private doesn’t mean that it is therefore publicly dishonest.  

     In closing, maybe the biggest eye opening revelation in the entire video was about Bono himself.  Bono tells a story that when we was a youth, there was a day where he had to ride his bicycle to and from work because of a bus strike; It was the day where a bombing had occurred and had he been on the bus he would have been in the area where the bombs had gone off and could have been killed.  This one incident shaped an entire U2 song and possibly, in my mind, the entire U2 anthology:  Faith mixed with doubt mixed with anger mixed with hope and perhaps a little fear.  Perhaps these traits are why so many people connect with Bono and U2.  I just hope that people watching this video are inspired by the beauty and mystery of God’s poetry and not inclined to try and appease man rather than God instead. 

Gettysburg and the Modern Day

     

[Written 10/11/15, finalized 5/13/16]

     Ten years ago, I was in Gettysburg Pennsylvania while doing a road trip of the East coast.  Kristin and I went to a few sites and museums about the Civil War, one of our nations darkest periods.  

Of the hundreds of displays, images and models that I viewed, one image still stands out in my mind today.  It was a large painting of two members of Congress literally having a physical altercation in the aisle of the Congressional floor during session in the years just prior to the Civil War.  It indicated to me just how divided this country was at that time, so much so that our even our nations’ top leaders had been reduced to waging fist fights at those who did not agree with them.  

     Fast forward over 150 years, it seems we are in the midst of yet another civil war of sorts with Facebook posts as fists and top US leaders portraying an ‘us versus them’ approach to dealing with the two primary political parties.  Even the Office of the Presidency, a position that I once admired with respect and honor, has dug in its heels, taking countless jabs at ‘the other side’ in speeches and demeanor.  

     So why must we pick a side at all?  Why must we pledge our complete and undying allegiance to one of two flawed political parties when we live in a country where we have the freedom to associate various admirable qualities from each side into our personal beliefs?  

     And why is it so important for someone who has pledged themselves to such a party feel like it is their mission to disband the other party?  I have seen many posts on Facebook of people hoping for a day when they can look back and tell the next generation about the folly of the then-deposed ‘opposing’ political party. 

     Do you not realize that that is not a democracy?   

     I do not pretend to be an expert on politics, on the contrary, I consider myself to be quite naive on the subject.  But I can report on what I see and observe.  And what I observe is that this country is ill.  I have been seeing that as individuals we do what we can:  love and cherish and interact with the families and friends around us.  But there is this foreshadowing, this lingering in the back of our minds that all is not well.  

     Some people believe that a change of government will make everything right.  Some want an individual or group of individuals to fight our battles, say the right words, sign the right literature and all will be well.  Some believe our current government is the best they’ve had in their lifetime.  Some believe it is the worst.  Whatever the belief, we simply put too much emphasis on who’s in charge and not enough emphasis on what we as individuals can do to make this world a better place.  

As we arrive at the one-year mark before the 2016 elections, I believe there is going to be a flood of negativity over the airwaves that is going to be unparalleled to anything we have seen in our lifetime.      Friends, we should strive to love one another as we love ourselves.    We cannot hand our lives over to the words and actions of another and allow the winds of bitterness, cynicism and slander to seep into our hearts.  There is only one Lord, only one God.  And the God of Love is our true Providence, our true Blessed Hope and our true Deliverer.  It is He whom he should love with our whole heart, mind and spirit.  

Social Media Psalm
(Inspired by Psalm 141)

O Lord I cry out to you, may you always be first in my life over any other wind of doctrine!  Accept my words as I choose to seek first the Kingdom of God.  And on the platform that has been given to me, set a guardsman over my emotions and my typing fingers; let the words that I choose to let the world see be choice words that bring glory to your name!   And let me not seek harm over another human being or be swayed by provocative posts, links or memes that appear in my social media feeds; Let me not partake in those enticements.  Let love prevail.  If I become pompous and arrogant in what I post, may a godly man or woman rebuke me publicly.  It would be a kindness, a balm to my wayward heart.  May posts made in good conscious witness against another man's posts which spew hatred and vitriol, delight in the death of another human being or rail against you God.  May their own acquaintances argue against them in lengthy threads and endless debates as when string is loosed from a spool.  And may they turn to pleasing and edifying words that glorify your name, Lord. Someday this collective public forum of words, images and videos will be nothing more than a digital graveyard, scattered across terabytes of distant memories.  Surely God I must first look to you my Sanctuary, and my Providence.  If future social media archeologists were to study my profile may they see God working in me and through me.  As for the now Lord, protect me and my brothers and sisters who freely worship You from the cleverly laid trap posts which invite verbal ensnarement.  May the authors of those word snares fall into their own traps, or be met with deafening silence, while we pass through on the other side.