Babies and Bathwaters (or: Facebook, part II)

About a month ago, I wrote a post on why I wanted to "leave" Facebook.  My main reason for doing so was that I had lost count of how many times I had become incredibly frustrated and disillusioned over conflicts and futile arguments that had resulted from trying to dialogue with other professing Christians about sometimes-weighty matters.  Well, I am slowly learning that for some reason, electronic correspondence (incl. Facebook) is not an adequate way to resolve conflict.  Also, I am learning that engaging in these sorts of fruitless debates is too much of a temptation for me, and it brings out some nastiness in me which I don't want to foster or waste time on.  A face-to-face conversation of disagreement, sure... but without the elements of non-verbal communication inherent in personal conversations, these "comment" sessions often quickly devolve into a sort of one-upmanship that I do not think honors the Name or unity of Christ.

So, I had decided to throw out the bathwater.  Then, I heard a little cry...

Well it wasn't really a cry, just more Facebook comments.  Only this time, they were kind.  People — actual "friends", not merely Facebook "acquaintances" — were telling me that they would miss staying in touch with me, and that really made me feel cared for and appreciated.  Furthermore, I found that if I could just say NO to my many temptations to "set people straight" (probably an impossibility in most cases, anyway), that I could actually enjoy some benefits from the FB.

So, in a sense, I'm back on Facebook.  And in a sense, I'm not.  For while I can't guarantee that "aggressive Ric" won't come out swingin' from time to time, I can promise that I'll choose my battles carefully, not cast my pearls before swine, and over all this, put on love...

Colossians 3:12-17 (ESV)

 

¹² Put on then, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience, ¹³ bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. ¹⁴ And above all these put on love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. ¹⁵ And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.