Search This Blog

Tuesday, March 03, 2020

Looking Him in the Face(book)

If my memory serves me, lunches on every Friday of my school career consisted of a non-meat option…presumably in deference to Catholics who had been admonished by the Pope not to eat meat on those days.

Additionally, the only time I ever heard of Lent was from either Catholic friends or friends of friends. Giving up something for 40 days, from Ash Wednesday until Easter. Usually, it was meat or chocolate that made the top of the denial list.

I did not grow up in the tradition that included meatless Fridays, Ash Wednesday, or observance of Lent. Oddly enough, I have some Protestant friends who just recently decided that this practice might be meaningful to them.

“Religion” is a practice. Generally speaking, it is a practice that wants to attain something. Theologians have discussed the difference between “religion” and “Christianity” for quite some time. Law versus grace, and all the nuances of personal accountability.

This year, the definition of “Lent” became something I needed to ponder. Not in an effort to attain something, but in order to more fully appreciate the sins for which Jesus already died and resurrected … giving me eternal life as a believer. I knew I needed to repent of behaviors that took away the time and attention rightly belonging to my Savior.

Ouch! This hurts. The biggest addiction stealing my time is none other than Facebook.

Every day … multiple times most days … I access social media in fear of missing out (the dreaded FOMO disease). I get my news there. I share news there. I like to think that sometimes I even share soul-searching and encouraging messages. But how ironic is it that the very medium I say I’ll use to spread the Gospel is the medium that steals my time away from the same.

Since Ash Wednesday (an arbitrary date for me) I’ve had more time to read Scripture. More time to pray. More time to stir my mind. More time to rest. It may take the entire 40 days before I can genuinely say that my fingers don’t automatically head for the FB app icon.

I still struggle with the FOMO disease. But because I am so grateful for what Jesus did for me (as remembered particularly on Resurrection Sunday), it is time to look more fully in His face than into Facebook.

And that’s the truth.