The internet has always had its dark side: email money transfer and gift card scams, identity theft, catfishing, fake job offers, stalkers, social media bullying, and more. During this time of stay-at-home orders and social distancing, when people are out of work, bored, and increasingly desperate for human connection, those abuses seem to increase.
Search “social media vitriol” and Google gives a return of about 2,240,000 results. You’ve probably muted at least one person or conversation on Facebook or Twitter, maybe even going so far as to “unfriend” someone if the content of their posts was just too much to handle in a given season of life—too much politics, too much Pinterest, too much profanity, too many false prophets. The anger and instant backlash that social media seems to create and thrive off of can be exhausting and soul crushing. And it’s a valid reason why many people simply choose to avoid social media altogether, or at least severely limit the amount of time they spend on social networks.
It’s a common question among the wives of pastors: Should you be Facebook friends with congregation members? How much of your social media presence should you share with them, if any? Is it safe to include them in your social networks, or will those connections harm your in-person relationships—or worse, the relationship between congregation members and their pastor or even the church?
Maybe you’ve asked this question, too, whether you’re a pastor’s wife, a professional church worker, or a faithful layperson desiring to offer all you have to the glory of God.
When I was six years old, I hit my friend in the head with a wooden block. This was no tap on the head. I doubled down, wound up, leaned in, and knocked him out. My offense, however, was not unprovoked.
