I am always genuinely intrigued by the effect that politics has on society in general and people in particular. Facebook is riddled with rage, lament, and opinions that are influenced by one’s circle of ideological friends. Find someone who rages against ______________, and their friend list quickly underscores the echo chamber that parrots the same.
This collective outrage reveals (in many instances) our inability to work from an honest position of critical examination. This is, in part, due to the connection between our emotions and the topics we care deeply about. We feel before we think, and because of this, we become reactive to nearly every news story and headline we read, without slowing down, doing the research, or seeking to be level-headed about the rage-bait inundating the airwaves.
Recently, I somehow happened across a post from one who presents himself as an inclusive, tolerant, loving pastoral figure who, when responding to a hot-button topic, casually, yet with evident vitriol, hammered out (and I paraphrase): “if you support ______________ then I hope you get what you deserve.
Looking further through this individual’s posts, I was amazed at the contrast between the inclusive, love-heavy, Christ-for-all posts and the vitriolic, angry, damning, and hateful posts aimed at specific groups of people.
As one who has strong, biblically-oriented viewpoints on gender, sexuality, the sanctity of human life, and a myriad of other topics, you will be hard-pressed to find me raging against the secular machine on a public platform like Facebook. Not because I don’t have strong opinions, feelings, or an emotional investment in such topics, but simply because I have come to recognize that these types of public displays of rage and angst serve only to stir those who are already emotionally invested on either side of the issue. Drop the comment, and then queue the echo chamber from my friend list.
At some point, we must decide whether our online presence will mirror the outrage of the age or the character of Christ. Rage is easy; reflection is costly. Anyone can react. Few take the slower path of examining their own motives, submitting their emotions to Scripture, and responding with wisdom. If the world is going to drown itself in echo chambers, let the people of God refuse to add to the noise. Let us be marked—not by the economy of rage—but by truth, discernment, and a love that is strong enough to stay level-headed when everyone else is losing theirs.
T. C. Hadden