Written by Johnathon Goodenow. Media by Kayla Morton.
When I came back from Israel, I had a couple of days on campus before spring semester started. In those couple of days, a large amount of my time was spent on Youtube and Facebook. My time on the internet eventually led me to Soundcloud posted by John Bain, a popular YouTuber known as Totalbiscuit who reviews PC games on Twitter (this content contains explicit language). He was diagnosed with inoperable cancer a while ago, but has continued to create content.
After listening, I cried and prayed for him. Based on remarks he made about evangelical Christians in his videos, I knew that he was an atheist. However, that is not to say that he could not find God. It took some searching to find replies from people who prayed for him. Replies to his tweet regarding his diagnosis of inoperable cancer, a small website, and a YouTube video offering prayers were found through a google search.
I shouldn’t have had to search to find prayers for him. If Christians allowed God to be a part of all facets of their lives, they would show more support through social media. In doing so, they would reach more people. The old hymn, “They’ll Know We Are Christians by Our Love” comes to my mind. Until we apply Jesus’ teachings to our lives, those who are not Christians can easily write us off as hypocritical and staying in our “Christian bubble.”
By looking on Facebook, I can see why atheists might think Christians are hypocritical or don’t care. It is rare to find a post by a Christian that has religious value. When Christians post about religious values, they are often shown by supporting a friend, expressing a political view or asking for prayers, which are met with responses from other Christians. However, those without Christian faith do not receive those responses as often even if they have Christian friends.
We are afraid to support those without faith for fear of being judged. But if we speak through our actions it is possible to lead other to Jesus. As Christians, we are commanded to go and make disciples, which is exactly what we should be doing. This is not to say that Christians should be getting into long arguments displaying non-Christian beliefs on social media. Discussions can quickly get out of hand on the internet.
We should not be afraid to love and support non-Christians. It is by loving our enemies that Jesus truly gets the attention that he deserves. Using social media as a Christian is not as simple as posting scripture verses and uplifting messages. There also needs to be prayer and support for those in need. Social media should be used to show others faith through life experiences. It is about allowing God to be a part of all aspects of the life He gave, and letting His word guide us.
