Man, it’s gotten bad lately. Social Media I mean.  Somehow it has evolved from a place to connect with friends, old and new, to a platform to air all of one’s passionately held opinions.  I wonder if everyone was so boldly and super strongly opinionated before the advent of social media. I mean — about EVERYTHING.

Should I use essential oils or antibiotics?  Am I ruining my kids’ natural immunities by pumping them with antibiotics, or am I risking poisoning them with essential oils that haven’t been tested/approved by the FDA?

Do I have to feed my family all organic in order for their brains to properly develop?  Is “clean eating” the way to go, or just the new breed of eating disorder?

Should I use a doula and have my baby via natural birth in water, or is it okay that I want to get on with this by having an induction when I’m 3-days past my due date?

Is it okay that I send my kids to public school instead of home schooling??

Am I going to poison my kids and disrupt their brain development by vaccinating them, or risk reintroducing a nearly eradicated disease by choosing not to vaccinate?

So what if I prefer disposable diapers to cloth ones?

Am I fostering the joy of a healthy imagination by allowing my kids to believe in Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny, or am I promoting a culture of dishonesty, while detracting my kids from the true meaning of these holidays?

Can I wear leggings or yoga pants, and still consider myself a modest-loving Christian?

I won’t even go into politics and the perpetuation of faulty “news” reporting that goes viral at the drop of a hat, with everyone quickly jumping on their judgmental bandwagons with tunnel vision glasses firmly attached to their faces.

The list goes on.

Look, here’s the bottom line.

I honestly do not come to Facebook to hear your opinion on every controversial topic in society right now.  I’ve established what I think firmly in my mind and your opinion isn’t likely to affect mine.  The truth of the matter is that if I see an article (or status update) that flies in the face of my own ways of thinking or doing things, 99% of the time, I won’t even open it.  And, 0.5% of the time, when I do actually read it, I rant in my head about what an idiotic mindset [this person] has.  Then, of course, there is the 0.5% of the time that I read an article that presents new information in a way that makes me go, “Hmmm.  Now this is interesting.”  But, that’s definitely the exception to the rule.

Now, before anyone points a finger at me and says, “Well, aren’t you closed minded?!” stop and ask yourself if you don’t do the same thing??  I mean, honestly, I gravitate toward articles that will back me up in my opinion.  I read and cheer in my mind, “Yes! Yes!  Finally, somebody with some sense!!!” And, then, in my opinion-posting-(I’m-preaching-to-myself-here-too-people)-compulsion I hit “share” under the delusion that all of these crazy folk who are spouting their nonsense opinions will see this one and finally see the light!!!

To put it bluntly: Using Facebook as your platform is fruitless.

But I’ll tell you what does happen, more often than not, as a result of all of these strongly asserted opinions flying around, and it can be summed up in ONE word:

DIVISION

In the mildest case it causes hurt feelings and subtle disconnection, due to personal offense and judgment or fear of being judged, and at the most severe level, it causes profoundly broken relationships in the realm of friendships, families, and even in the body of Christ.  And, friends, this flies in the face of our biblical command, in Ephesians 4: “I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.”

To put it practically, when I see my friends posting about their strongly held opinions on how to feed one’s kids, I’m a lot less apt to think, “Oh I should probably start feeding my kids better,” and a lot more apt to guard and shelter myself, disconnect a little, in fear that that person will judge me when she finds out I feed my kids Pop Tarts, Lunchables, and even McDonald’s on occasion.

When my Christian sister uses social media to air her opinion on the dangers of antibiotics, I’m a lot less apt to connect deeply with her for fear that she will condemn me in her mind when she learns that we pretty-much depend on antibiotics for bacterial infections up in this house.  (And, I’m sure the same alienation can be felt by my friends who have come to love and depend on essential oils, when the opposite articles are posted.)

This isn’t to say that someone else’s opinion is wrong if it doesn’t line up with mine.  All I’m saying is that it’s extremely easy to feel judged by those I consider to be brothers and sisters in Christ when I see such strong opinions posted online that kinda contradict the way I do things. Makes me a little tender-footed, wondering what kinds of judgments they may be forming in their minds regarding me and the way I choose to do things that are essentially inconsequential.

Look, I understand that there are certain moral absolutes.  And, if you’re using Facebook to promote your business, by all means, share away!!  It’s a great tool for that.  I would never expect someone to interpret this article as saying, “Wait, so you think I should never express my opinion about anything on social media?”  That’s not it.  And, trust me.  I will probably still post my opinions on occasion. But, particularly as followers of Jesus, I would recommend asking yourself, “Is this an opinion that needs to be aired?  Will I be alienating someone with it? Or will I be influencing and uplifting? Most of all, am I in all humility, love, and patience working to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace?”

P.S. Just for the record, I LOVE my leggings. And my vaxer friends and my non-vaxers. And my essential oilers and my medicators.  And, my homeschool moms and those who went for public school.
Oh.  And Whataburger. I DO love me some Whataburger.

But most of all….

I. LOVE. Jesus.

And that’s one opinion I will not hold back.