The Social Media Gospel: We Can’t Be Witnesses Where We’re Not Present

Why Every Believer from Every Generation Should Have an Internet Presence

by Mike Friesen

I am a Millennial (born in 1987). I use social media (I tweet. I blog. I post status updates.). I have a smart phone. I spend between an hour or two on these sites a day and probably another hour using the internet to find resources or simply just for browsing. This use of social media is a predominant resource in marketing, spreading ideas and allowing people to connect today (especially for my generation).

Marshall McLuhan, the advertising guru once said, “The medium is the message.” What advertising shows over and over again is that what is truly powerful is not what is being said but how it is being said. This is why images of sexy women, laughing babies, a picture of a mean dog or serial killer all come to have an attached meaning in our brains. When we see advertising, it triggers thoughts or desires that we thought we already had.

St. Francis once said, “Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words.” What this quote reminds us is that the words of the Gospel are not the Gospel to society, the Gospel to society is the words incarnating through us. Because you’re made in God’s image, you can reflect God to the world. You are the medium. Your actions, your words, your beliefs, reflect the Gospel you believe in to the world around you.

This is why I believe people who are not millennials should engage in social media. Your digital presence can be the Gospel to those who need it. Your presence can be good news. In a social media world that is run by Charlie Sheen, Ashton Kutcher and Justin Bieber, you can help subvert the social media world with the Gospel.

You can reach a generation with wisdom and knowledge if you are willing to engage with us in kindness, compassion and generosity. Social media can be a great resource for one generation to reach out to another.

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Read more from Mike Friesen at his blog or follow him on Twitter.