One recent morning I drove my youngest to school, talk radio on as usual in the background. There were two stories that day within the span of time it took me to arrive back in my driveway about the use of social media to spread radical, hateful narratives that lead to violence. There was one story about a scholar of Islamic law in his 80s taking to Twitter and YouTube in an attempt to counter ISIS leaders’ violent interpretations of Islam that are spread via social media. The other was an interview with writer Malcolm Gladwell about his article positing that the sociology of riots may help explain the growing number of mass shootings. Gladwell noted that a robust online subculture has helped grow the “fraternity of shooters” who want to participate in these “horrifying rituals.”
Gladwell’s use of the word “ritual” struck me. The Islamic law scholar’s pronouncement that ISIS’ interpretation of the Koran “is not Islam” caught my attention. How are these twisted storylines able to virtually build communities of adherents that act in real, destructive, devastating ways? What are the followers of Baghdadi and the admirers of Eric Harris discovering online that motivates them to act in ways that imperil themselves and others?
I have no answers to these questions. The discussions about too easy access to guns and too difficult access to health care and other resources are important, relevant, necessary, even if those conversations are difficult and divisive. However, there are deeper issues lurking underneath these disturbing trends, foundational issues that the church also needs to take the lead on tackling. Rituals and religion, ultimate purpose and meaning, building community of care not carnage, aren’t these our areas of expertise? Can we agree that a Christian subculture espousing every human being’s God-created worth and the vocation of justice-doing and peacemaking is sorely needed? Could we, like that 80-year-old Islamic scholar, take to social media with a message that counters fraternities of hate and racism and death with one of love and abundant life?
I recognize that the subcultures that promulgate and perpetuate fear and murder succeed due to a myriad of complex reasons. Yet, there were two basic truths evident in both of those radio stories. The first is that passionate, committed leaders have a tremendous amount of influence. The second is the power of social media to shape and spread narratives that build community and motivate people to act. If we as Christians, even just the small branch of the vine that is Presbyterianism, operated out of these two cultural truths as we proclaim the love of God through Christ Jesus our Lord, we would make a transformative and positive impact on the world.
Is it naïve to believe this? Perhaps. But what is the alternative? To believe that mass shootings are inevitable? To write off those who sign up to fight for terrorists? To concede the storyline to the subcultures of violence? To imagine that the meta-narrative doesn’t belong to a God who wants to save the beloved world?
I am tired of feeling helpless and defeated when I hear the news or read the paper. Besides, it is Advent, so throwing up our hands is unarguably faithless. We are actively preparing for the incarnation and anticipating the Second Coming. If ever there is a time to share good news of great joy to all people it is now. Rise up of men and women of God, bring the day of brotherhood (and sisterhood!) to the incarnate community — not virtual, but actual — that has the power through the Holy Spirit to end the night of wrong that has reigned for far too long.
This Advent let’s tweet and YouTube and Facebook and email and Snapchat and Vine and Tumblr and Instagram and blog and Pintrest and write letters and rent billboards and take to the radio and get in the pulpit and go to places we may never have been brave enough before to go in order to let the world know Emmanuel, God with and for us, is on the way. God has called us to be passionate, committed leaders, sharing the salvation story, a subculture that subverts violence with the sacrificial love of the One whose birth we will soon celebrate even as we anticipate his victorious return. Go tell it on the digital mountain and then go live it in every hill and valley. Your leadership and God’s message matters.
Grace and peace,
Jill
