Facebooking in the Light

This is the message we have heard from him and proclaim to you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say we have fellowship with him while we walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanses us from all sin. (1 John 1:5-7)

If you're on Facebook you know what it means to have no secrets. If you're not, let me give you a little insight.

Facebook is a social networking tool - kind of like email, only more public - where users post what they're doing, what groups they support, who their friends are, etc. It's a great way to stay in touch - I've recently reconnected with 10 high school friends after 21 years.

But there are no secrets on Facebook. Once someone is your "friend", when you log on you see what they are doing or have recently done. Status updates, groups joined, public messages written, pictures uploaded - it's all there for the world (or at least their friends) to view. The very attraction of Facebook has been the downfall of more than a few people who posted the wrong thing at the wrong time, seen by the wrong person - and a college application or job was in danger.

Strangely, this phenomenon reminds me of Scripture. I call it Facebooking in the Light. John wrote that we should live our lives openly, for all to see, in such a way that there is nothing to hide. On Facebook, I find myself thinking of status updates that would be "cool" - and resisting the temptation to be something I'm not when reflecting what I'm doing. I find myself paying attention to every group I join or every message I write, knowing that others will see it. And that's not a bad thing. People being the fallen creatures we are, there is deception, puffing up, manipulation, and outright stupidity on Facebook. There is also the chance, as a believer, to practice a biblical principle.

The thing is, John wants us to live all our lives in such a way that they can be this public, without shame. The groups we're involved in, the things we're saying to each other, the daily activities of our lives, should be free of needing to be tucked away in the shadows. We should walk in the light with each other - openly confessing our sins to each other, being straightforward when we realize someone has something against us - and we should walk in the light before the world, doing nothing that couldn't be posted for all to see.

There will be the temptation to act like something we're not. But the fact is that God changes us from the inside out. So what we demonstrate should reflect an inner reality (otherwise it's called hypocrisy). Sanctification should bring us closer and closer to a congruence between what the Word says we should be/are, what we are becoming inside, and who we are in our thoughts, feelings, and actions.

What areas of our lives make us cringe at the thought of public portrayal? What would we want to keep off Facebook? Those are the very things we should bring before the throne of God and allow Him to work on ... so that we can bring one more area into the light.

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. 13 And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account. (Heb. 4:12-13)