Facebook - to give it up or not to give it up... that is the question

Sometimes, I wonder if Facebook is more trouble than it's worth.

Young Woman with Laptop
by Petr Kratochvil
at PublicDomainPictures.com

A few years ago, I was so saddened by the language two former students were using in status posts that I had to remove the poor things from my feed.

It balanced out a little when another former student shared her daily faith journey with FB friends. When I heard she was considering religious life, I couldn't help praising God and recognizing what a great grace it has been to watch and listen as she grew.

Facebook shows our full humanity. Weakness and strength. Disobedience and obedience. Sinfulness and sanctification.

I'm thinking today about St. Monica. Goodness, what would it have been like for her to have a Facebook page and a feed that listed all of Augustine's flaws and foibles before his conversion.


This "mother of so many tears" would have surely been tempted to despair.

I think of the Blessed Mother. I'm not schooled enough in apparitions to remember where and when She said it, but I do seem to remember that she practically begged us to repent and be spared whatever it was She saw coming. She knew what we were up to and She knew where it was all leading.

From Her seat in heaven, I can just about imagine the "feed" she has to endure.

It makes me want to cringe for Her.

But back to the Facebook cross... What do you do? We've been asked to get out there and enter the high speed highways and byways of the social media - that new mission field we call the digital continent.

What do you do when you ache like this? When you have a St. Monica moment and you down right hurt? When you long for your dear ones (children, students, friends) to choose blessings, not curses. Life, not death. Sanctification, not sin. Holy living, not hellbent pursuits.

It's a New Age alright.

It's a whole new view. Where there is nothing new under the sun, but all the old godless living is paraded and hailed.

As the St. Monicas of the world cry harder.

I'm still trying to decide if I want to go back to this thing I gave up for Lent. Facebook. Is it really worth it?

This little light of mine...I'm going to let it shine...this little light of mine...I'm going to let it shine...let it shine...

For now, anyway.

And I hope you are strong enough to do it too.

Facebook - to give it up or not to give it up... that is the question