Dealing with the Daily Drip of Information

 If you are like me, you want to stay informed with what is going on in the world. In fact, I feel like this daily news ritual is actually something that has caused a lot of confusion in our younger (and my, let's be honest) generation because a once blissfully ignorant group, who did not grow up hearing the news, has now been flooded with information because the internet in their hands (literally). 

A Desire to Unplug

I relate to all of the memes about wanting to unplug, run off to the mountains or some homestead, and not worry about the world. My anxiety isn't rooted, though, in KNOWING there are bad things in the world, but in knowing that it really is my responsibility to DO something. As a result (turned up mostly after 2020), I have begung speaking on cultural matters and current events on social media more frequently. 

Unfortunately, this all comes at a cost. Like so many have mentioned, social media has been carefully tailored to be a dopamine factory--it just sucks you in. I watched this unfold as an "elder millennial" with how instant messaging and chat rooms first emerged (youth ministry leader forums--that was my big time-waster at 19), but at least when that all came out, it was attached to stationary computer. 

But now the computer is stuck in our hands. 

I've tried a LOT to limit my phone use. I've put all the little limit reminders on for my "time-wasters" and I've even toyed with the idea of buying a Brick--a device that literally "bricks" (or for those who are not as computer savvy or gamers, makes useless) a list of apps you'd like to ignore or or even your phone for a time period--but again, none of this is really solving the problem: Your girl needs to just put the phone down and ignore it. A song lyric from my running playlist laments, "social media/the modern day cigarette"--and I cannot agree more. We are all addicted, and we stand around giving ourselves "screen breaks" instead of "lighting one up." 

 Why We Can't Quit 

As Christians, we are called to be IN the world (Matthew 5:14-16), but not OF the world (John 15:19). If we know the Truth, we need to be where the people are (yes, just like The Little Mermaid) and speak the truth of God's word. That also means being in those same spaces and engaging in the same conversations that others are--even if it's just on social media. We need to show up--we need to be willing to engage--we need to show others that God cares about these situations and that the Bible has things to say about how to react and act in each of these scenarios. If we aren't showing up and speaking in these areas, then we are leaving it to others to be the voices everyone hears.  

And often others state that they KNOW these things, but they don't want to isolate others or "cause arguments." Y'all--read all of John 15:18-25

¹⁸ “If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. ¹⁹ If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. ²¹ But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. ²² If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. ²³ Whoever hates me hates my Father also. ²⁴ If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. ²⁵ But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’

If what you say or post causes division, it's not because of your actions: it's because the truth DIVIDES when people are living in sin or not living according to the truth.  It's because the world hates Jesus--and by extension, it will hate us too. This isn't some surprise or scandal--He said it will happen right here--but we need to know that when we experience some of these things, it is because we are following Jesus' example.

Getting out of the Drive Thru Line

We know that having the wrong idea of truth has eternal consequences, so we need to stop passively observing and get into the mix. Even though drive-thrus are convenient because we can get our coffee fix with as little small talk as possible, we need to get back into the coffee shop and have a little interaction. We need to comment--we need to share. And not just the gospel either--we need to engage the world with a historical Christian worldview since that is where people's view of reality comes from (and if you are feeling like people need a grip on reality, they probably need a worldview--not at attitude--adjustment). 

So while I obviously have my own struggles with disciplining myself to stay off of my phone, I shouldn't be contemplating quitting "cold-turkey." As Christians and apologists, we need to go where the people are--even if it's social media--but without the addiction and with all of the perspective. It's a hard line to walk, but He never said being in the world would be easy.