Jesus and Social Media

Everyone in the house is asleep…ah, blessed silence! Kelly has to get up suuuuper early for work tomorrow, so he went to bed before everyone else tonight. So I am sitting here in my rocker drinking hot cocoa and sorting through my thoughts in this online journal. 

I’ve thought a lot over the past few months about social media and the ups and downs of it. It’s sort of a love/hate relationship for me. I’ve mentioned before that part of me would like to go back to the stone ages (i.e. flip phone) and just not be a part of any of it. But I know that technology will only continue to get more and more advanced and I’d rather know what’s out there and teach my kids how to properly use social media and the internet than to be hiding under a rock somewhere. There is a lot to gain from it all. And…there is also so much to learn as it constantly evolves. It can feel so overwhelming sometimes.

When we were touring full-time, we spent much of the winter singing at retirement communities in Florida, Arizona and Texas. I remember one venue we sang at, there was a bulletin board on the wall with different activities and events for the community. There were things like shuffleboard, bingo night, and upcoming concerts, and then there was a class to learn how to use Facebook. It seemed really funny to me at the time that anyone would need a class to learn Facebook, but I get it now lol. It’s a totally different world than the one I grew up in and with each new social media platform, reels, stories, etc. I feel like I’m constantly trying to catch up. 

It’s fascinating too, to observe “the new breed of celebrity” as someone called it, with the Tiktok stars and Instagram influencers. On one hand, it’s nice to see so many ordinary people among those “influencers”. At the same time though, it can feel like a big noisy competition for the top, with millions of people shouting out all the reasons why you should follow them. 

I see an interesting juxtaposition here.

Christ was always concerned about “the one”. The one who had gone astray, the broken-hearted, the unnoticed and unloved. He is the Good Shepherd, who leaves the ninety and nine to go in search for that one lost soul. And when He finds that one, He carries them home rejoicing. He would have us see each other as equals. Whatever our color, whatever our status in society, whatever our sins or shortcomings, we are all the same in His eyes. Equally loved and equally precious. 

Within the world of social media however, instead of leaving the ninety and nine for the one, It generally seems to be more about lifting the one above all the rest. The one who is the most popular, most attractive, most talented, most admired. With the model of “likes” and “followers”, it can be easy to get caught up in trying to prove your uniqueness to the world. It can be easy to get caught up in trying to fill a void or find worth through the reactions and interactions on social media platforms. But that isn’t what Christ intended for us. There is a worth inherent in each of us, purely by existing. We are unique, without our trying. We are “fearfully and wonderfully made”. If you look up the world fearfully in the dictionary, it has a second meaning that is unrelated to fear. It means exceptionally, remarkably, uncommonly, extraordinarily, incredibly. So whether or not the rest of the world ever realizes your greatness doesn’t change the fact that it is there. 

My experience in the music industry felt like I was constantly trying to build up and keep up an image, this facade of perfection. I felt like I always had to be done up, wear the right clothes, say the right things. There was always a sense of “be yourself”, but also be “unreachable”, so that there was a sense of mystery, the elusive “star”. Perhaps that isn’t everyone’s experience within the industry, but it was mine. And it was exhausting.

My goal here on my blog and on my social media channels is to be authentic and real and relatable. Obviously, there will always be things that are too private or personal to share on any social media platform, but I hope that through the experiences that I do share, I can help lift some other person and learn from those I interact with along the way. I appreciate social media for the opportunities it gives me to connect with people from all over the world and stay connected with friends and family in a way that I never could have dreamed of growing up.

I would be lying if I said that I didn’t care to grow my social media following or gain subscriptions to my blog. There is a lot of opportunity and freedom that can come with that. I would love to have a profitable blog, so that I can work from home and help support my family doing something that I love. However, numbers are not my sole motivator and though I have found myself caught up in the rat race of the internet from time to time, I hope that I can keep my focus on the one, instead of trying to be “the one”. I genuinely want to connect with people through these platforms as I share my journey and experiences and learn about yours. And writing is such a form of therapy for me. It’s healing and it helps me to sort through the messes in my head, make sense of the world around me and define who I am and what I’m about. As always, thank you for taking the time to read my ramblings. Message me or comment if these posts resonate with you in any way. I love the feedback! Feel free to share and follow me on Instagram and Facebook ;).

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