It's time for a new SOCIAL MEdia pledge

Catholic tradition holds us to three Lenten observances: prayer, fasting and almsgiving.   For most people, though, it’s all about the fasting and the sacrifice. “What will I be giving up this lent.”

 A new trend  that is gaining popularity is to give up Social Media, such as Facebook, for Lent.  This can seem like a worthwhile sacrifice, if we were to approach social media as if it were just technology and devices.   But the truth is social media is relationships.  I would no more give up my relationships for 40 days than I would give up  family or church.   I do recognize that the problem for some is that they have gone to the extreme and thus neglect their face-to-face relationships.  For those folks it would be time to implement a Lenten Fast or a scaling back.  Just like our rules of fasting for Ash Wednesday or Good Friday We cut back to one main meal and the rest light meals.  

I would like to take a new approach. First, let’s stop for a moment and take a look at what it is we are called to do during Lent.

“We can begin to embrace this call by fasting from or "giving up" material things, including foods, that are superfluous to our basic needs; "taking up" habits that are directed to helping and caring for others; and "lifting up" our brothers and sisters who are in need through prayer and devotional practices.”  – From the USCCB.org - Lent: Give up, Take-up, Lift-up!

When I  read those words,   I see an opportunity  for us focus on the ways that we can take these  three disciplines of giving up, taking up and lifting up, and integrate them as part of our Lenten social media plan.     

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Give up:

Let’s give up negativity, gossip, judgment and criticism in our comments or posts. We are all adults and we know what those words mean.   We learned how to play nice on the playground in Kindergarten.   So let’s play nice.   Whether we admit it or not, we tend to put our focus on the negative side of things in current events, politics or even the everyday events of our families.    How many times have we passed  judgment  by posting a rant about  that “person who cut me off” or the person at the grocery store who was rude or anyone else that  somehow did us "wrong"  without knowing the full story.  We may never know if that person just buried a loved one, just suffered the loss of a job or just found out that they may be facing cancer.  Hold your judgment.  

As well, let’s eliminate the trivial and the commercial.    This could be a tough one.   We all love those harmless cute cat and dog videos/ photos and the  what about the latest meme with Sheldon. Gasp!     Although it may be interesting to take those online quizes,  IQ tests or surveys  to find out what movie, book, character,  (or whatever  the latest trend) those are just a means to collect your personal data and do little to serve  the  greater good.  It’s just six weeks and the things that we "take-up" will fill the void!  I promise.

Take-up:

 Let’s make this Lent a focused and  deliberate sharing of our faith.   Not by proselytizing and posting an endless stream of scripture quotes or iconic images.    (Although if you would like a new Facebook cover that is faith based - I have you covered.  (Check out  the tab "Facebook Covers.")   The wonderful thing about sharing and witnessing our Faith is that can be done in everyday moments and ordinary things.   The latest photo of your family and children  that says:  “God has truly blessed me” is a powerful testimony.     That is the Good News that we need to be sharing!

 Lift up:

Opportunities abound for us to offer words of comfort, hope and wisdom to those with whom we interact.   We can be a witness to our faith in the simple grace filled opportunities we are presented to offer congratulations and blessings to others when they share the happy events in their lives.     We can offer our prayers and sympathy to those who are experiencing lives struggles and losses.    And to take this one step further, this Lent I suggest every time we see a prayer request in our news feed, that we stop, right then in the moment, and we say a prayer.  Don’t just post a message that says  you will say a prayer for them, instead post that you just said a prayer for them.

In Pope Francis' message for Lent, our Holy Father writes

“The Lord asks us to be joyous heralds of this message of mercy and hope! It is thrilling to experience the joy of spreading this good news, sharing the treasure entrusted to us, consoling broken hearts and offering hope to our brothers and sisters experiencing darkness.” 

With our intentional, deliberate and focused usage  of our Social Media this Lent, we have at our disposal a  powerful medium to spread the Good News,   to share the riches we have been entrusted, to console the broken hearted and to offer hope to those in darkness. Don't give up your social media this Lent.  Instead,  let's make a Lenten pledge to use our Social Media privileges in positive, evangelizing and loving ways.  It’s time for a new SOCIAL MEdia  pledge this Lent. Does anyone want to join me?

Cyndi

by Cyndi Marlow

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