Think on These Things

Facebook, and other venues like it, are dandy things for the most part. They allow us to keep in touch with those far away, easily see pictures of places/events that we were not able to share - or were able to share and simply want to relive.  We also can share some viral video or use it as a channel to broadcast our blogs, which I just did to get you to read this. However, I have noticed that a not-so-wonderful, not-so-new trend has been oh-so prevalent on Facebook: the practice of posting negative articles that show just how crumbled our world is.

To all those who make a practice of doing this: thank you, I was enjoying the sunshine and in danger of having a happy day. “Well, you could just not read them,” you may say. “Well, I don’t,” I would say. Today the top of my feed was “Wall of Shame: Net worth of 100 left-wing millionaire and billionaire celebs” with a photo to accompany it. Wow! Look, some people who are just as totally depraved and as in need of the Holy Spirit’s work as Mother Teresa! I think I will call them up right now and tell them that they should not have that much money, or at least become a Republican so that they can donate some of that money to the next election. Seriously though, what are you, or anyone, going to do about it? Make others more aware? So what? So, they can be equally as cynical? Maybe I have missed out, but I have never caught anything on the news about some “terrible” person being convinced of their wrongs because a mud-slung ad had a bajillion shares and likes. Philippians 4:8 reads: “Finally brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worth of praise, think about these things”. Maybe we could apply that to Facebook a bit?

 To add a bit of a disclaimer, I think it good to share articles that may not be “lovely”, in that they are sad situations that are worth knowing for prayer or action. Multiple crimes have been solved via Facebook and issues that may require a letter to a congressman can also be spread rapidly via Facebook, which is great.

But, back in the topic of all the negative articles about how our world is going to pot.  “Say not, “Why were the former days better than these? For it is not in wisdom that you ask this.” (Eccl. 7:10) To this Matthew Henry comments, “God has always been good, people have always been bad” (since the fall that is) and that includes me and you. So, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to a stone…” (John 8:7). Christ is the only one with the right to throw a stone and judge, which He did not do and will not do until the Day of Judgment. In the meantime, I beg my brothers and sisters, to spend your energy throwing the seeds of the gospel for a harvest of righteousness (James 3:18), not gathering stones for those equally as broken as ourselves (Rom 3:10-20).