Responsible Platforms

Social media gives us a lot of different avenues and outlets for expressing ourselves.

We can portray ourselves as all manner of political, spiritual, creative or intellectual. We can emphasize our job, our kids, our community involvement or all three. We can show the world a version of ourselves that may or may not be authentic, but more than likely, we will make sure it's a version others will like.

I've been struggling this weekend with people asking me to 'explain myself' through social media outlets. I've been asked to write an online bio for another blog I'll be writing for soon (more on that later), submit a cover letter explaining my passion for a potential job offer, and share my thoughts on the structure of my church's young adults gathering via an online survey. Most of these are not writing prompts that require a 10 page response, but I could definitely give each of them at least that much if they let me. 

Cramming all the thoughts, passions and goals of my 5'6" self into 250 words or less is difficult. I'd rather just talk to someone. Even if I only said 250 words, at least they would hear the eagerness in my voice, see the anticipation in my eyes, maybe even feel the motivation in my handshake. But alas, Eat. Pray. Plank, Facebook and Twitter are my platforms and I must find a way to convey all of this into something you can try to understand in only a few minutes. No pressure.

My plight is not an uncommon one. Political bloggers, foodies, pastors, people who work for advertising at United Airlines and Donald Trump all try to achieve a similar level of transference in just a few moments of your time. Some do this very well. Others should just stop. I won't name names for either category, but I will say that as our world becomes increasingly instant, we have to be on the lookout for responsible platforms and realize that they take time to establish. 

Let me explain. In my Religious Epistemology class (a one-night-a-week gathering where we discussed how we know what we know about religion and constantly asked, Are you sure?), we explored the characteristics of a Responsible Christian, an Irresponsible Christian, a Responsible Atheist and an Irresponsible Atheist. Responsible Christians and Atheists know why they are Christians and Atheists and if you ask, they can tell you. You might not like it, but they'll be able to give you a reason that, hopefully, is at least structurally sound. Irresponsible ones...well, they get caught up in a 'cause' and don't know why. They tend to be sheep following a blind shepherd and this is why political campaign managers like to share videos on Twitter of Irresponsible Voters who favor their opponent. By showing that their opponent's followers are dumb, they can somehow prove that their opponent is also dumb. Sometimes this works, sometimes it doesn't. 

The point is, we all have an opportunity to be Responsible or Irresponsible (fill in the blank)s. Christians, moms, feminists, accountants, cat lovers. Each of us has the opportunity, wherever we are and whatever we're doing in life, to be able to back up why we do what we do OR to defend our merely surface-level existence with 'just because'. I have friends on Facebook who have been posting some articles lately that I fundamentally disagree with, but I rejoice that they express themselves on a Responsible Platform, not a foundation of sand. I'd prefer coffee with a Responsible Socialist friend over an Irresponsible Evangelical any day of the week.

If you take nothing else away from this post, understand that being a Responsible (fill in the blank) takes time. There's a reason that successful businesswomen take the time to get an MBA, that engaged couples go through marriage counselling and that following a recipe requires prep time. And it's not unlike the reason that Jesus didn't start His ministry until He was 33. If you're trying to start something, trying to be someone, trying to go somewhere, take the time to make sure you're putting your best foot forward and do not let the necessary process burn you out. If you're wondering what to do and how to express yourself during that process, I would say to simply be honest. Because an Irresponsible Christian does about as much good for the Kingdom of God as a Responsible Atheist, but I would argue that an Honest Christian is closest to the heart of God.