Footloose and Facebook-free

The other night I was on Facebook, and things started messing up. It wouldn't allow me to post on any wall or update my status. After a while, it knocked me offline and would not allow me to log on for about 30 minutes or so.

At first, I (mildly) panicked for about 38 seconds when Lanecia said that she couldn't even get on my FB page. "I was deleted from Facebook!!! Argh!" But then came the whelming sense of calm. "I was deleted from Facebook . . . siiighhh!" Something felt really good about it.

So when they finished with their maintenance and all that jazz, and I was able to log back into my account, I immediately deactivated it. And it feels so very, very good for this particular time.

I suppose this is a season, and I'll join Facebook again. I could be back to posting news articles, quotes and Pray With Africa updates and liking photographs and statuses in a week or a month or sometime thereafter . . . Who knows? But for now, I'm just enjoying this nice, lovely breath of fresh air.

May you find ways to listen to what feels right and breathe fresh air, as well--whether it be in letting go of something or daring to try something new. May you be surrounded by a whelming sense of calm and listen to it.

peace.

Facebook: A Practice in Humility

While Facebook is certainly a practice in gross narcissism and internet stalking, I'm also learning a little about humility from Facebook today.

Last night I quoted Nelson Mandela in my status in celebration of South Africa's recent Mandela Day efforts to eliminate poverty: "Like slavery and apartheid, poverty is not natural. It is man-made, and it can be overcome and eradicated by the actions of human beings." Several of my FB friends clicked "like," but my first comment came from a guy I know who quoted Matthew 26:11 to suggest that even Jesus believes we'll never eliminate poverty and that Mandela's "conclusion is unfortunately flawed."

My natural inclination was to delete said FB Commenter (known as FBC from this point forward) from my friends. I have been in circles with FBC in-person, but he was always more acquaintance than friend, and I never see him at all anymore since his move. We're not close; we're really only FB friends now. And I nearly yanked every strand of hair from my head during the presidential election whenever I read his status updates. I don't think FBC would be broken-hearted to lose me as a Facebook friend.

Alas, in the real world I cannot simply delete people to silence their voices. In fact, I'm against that very thing. I am reminded of how small and powerless I am. I'm reminded that God sees all of us the same--even those of us with bad theology. I'm humbly and gratefully reminded that my life is enriched by my friend Mary, who often disagrees politically and theologically with me. I would never delete her. My friends don't all have to think exactly like I do; I'm glad that they don't. Thank you FB, for helping me remember what grace and patience God has for all of us.

Of course, even after my moment of realization, I'm still considering deleting FBC. What can I say? I'm unfortunately flawed.

FYI:

I appreciate this blogger I discovered who addresses the same Matthew text in a recent post if you're interested in hearing another theological approach to what Jesus might have been saying about the poor being with us.: No Such Thing as Silence.