Twitter Theology & A Christian Ethic for Social Media

Posted by David Drinnon on Aug 8, 2009 | 5010 commentshttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.equipthem.info%2F2009%2F08%2F08%2Ftwitter-theology-a-christian-ethic-for-social-media%2FTwitter+Theology+%26+A+Christian+Ethic+for+Social+Media2009-08-08+21%3A28%3A39David+Drinnonhttp%3A%2F%2Fwww.equipthem.info%2F%3Fp%3D501

Leonard Sweet, evangelism professor at Drew University, recently wrote an article  entitled, “Twitter Theology:  5 Ways Twitter Has Changed My Life and helped me be a better Disciple of Jesus.” He has shared some very intriguing personal reflections on his use of twitter.

First of all, Len has rightly turned twitter on its head…an approach all Christians should take in their use of social media. He has redefined the application of the tool. Len writes, “In twitter’s ethic of followership, I am constantly reframing reality in ways that are more Jesus….In my ongoing battle with self-transcendence over self-absorption, twitter has helped me become more others-focused.” Rather than indulging himself in the self-proclamatory nature of twitter, Len tweets with the purpose of encouraging others in their followship of Christ, not in the followship of himself. This is the Christian ethic of social media.

Twitter asks, “What are you doing?” Facebook asks, “What’s on Your Mind?” LinkedIn asks, “What are you working on now?” Facebook tells you to ‘Broadcast Yourself’ and the list goes on. As Christians, these technologies are not evil or even bad. These websites are mere tools. They can be used for good or bad. They are amoral. However, it is the morals of those who use them that determine their value for us as individuals and for the church. Don’t let the presuppositions of those who created them (as indicated by the self-proclamatory inquiries) deter you from using these tools for the Kingdom of God.

Don’t underestimate the difference you can make with 140 characters. As Len describes them, tweets are sound bytes that bite. He writes, “No one was better at tweets than Jesus. Jesus was a master at sound bytes that bite with terseness and immediacy.” More than likely, your favorite Bible verse is a case in point.

Third in Len’s twitter theology is the principle of ‘surface.’ He writes, “Life is not just about the depths. Life is also about the surfaces. I spend large parts of my life with academics who spend their careers exploring the depths. Many seldom come up. You come up for the air of communication and relationship, and when you spend all your time in the depths you find yourself talking only to yourself.” I can certainly see the applicability of this for those in theological academia, but for others such as myself, the danger is not the lack of surfaces, but the lack of depths. May all of us stay anchored in the depths of God’s Word as we seek to encourage others in Christ both online and off.

My thanks to Professor Sweet for sharing his thoughts. It is important for us as Christians to consider the implications of these tools and use them rightly–with a Christian ethic that seeks to encourage others to follow Christ rather than seeking to be followed.