Don’t Be A Twit tagged: , , , ,

Don’t Be A Twit

Posted by in Baptist Life, IMPACT Features

The death of Osama bin Laden seemed to trigger two responses from Christians on Twitter. Either they were happy about it (and several included appropriate praise for members of the U.S. military), or they quoted verses chiding Christians and reminding them not to rejoice over the death of a lost person. In reality, this is a complex biblical issue that few found a way to accurately summarize in 140 characters. J.D. Greear was a notable exception when he tweeted, “Rejoice that justice has been done. Yet, weep over lost even if enemies. God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked. (Pr 24:17; Ez 33:11)” (@jdgreear, 2 May). Perhaps others did as well, but they were the minority.

After an initial 30 minutes, I was conflicted about how to respond to bin Laden’s death. The death of someone who wanted to kill me is good news. It means that I get to sleep a little better, and it means that fewer of my friends in the military will be in harm’s way. On the other hand, decentralized networks react in unpredictable ways to the loss of a charismatic leader. Some dissolve, some experience a contest for leadership where the winner displays initiative beyond the leader that was lost, and some diffuse into many smaller networks that are both harder to eliminate and are just as dangerous. What does the body of terrorism look like after losing its most famous face? Only time will tell, and so my friends remain on high alert.

Theologically, unrepentant sinful choices lead to consequences. The Bible is clear on this point. However, the Bible is also clear that parties in heaven happen for the salvation of sinners, not the death of tyrants. So how do I, as a moderate user of Twitter and as a person with a public platform, tweet my response to bin Laden’s death? By not tweeting anything. (Okay, on May 3rd I retweeted a Stephen Colbert quote, but it was funny).

I could not accurately sum up my thoughts on the issue in 140 characters. And because I didn’t know where, when, or by whom my tweet might be read, I sat it out. Was I incapable of making a joke about the situation? Certainly not. Was it that part of me didn’t want to stand next to my friends in the military and join in the high-fives? Nope. Simply put, 140 characters wasn’t enough room to tell my story. So, I heeded the old bumper sticker/ proverb, “Better to stay silent and have people think you’re an idiot, than to speak and prove them correct.”

Twitter is a powerful tool. In February, John Piper stoked a fire over Rob Bell’s book when he tweeted just three words. I think leaders should employ the devices that extend their influence. There are many Christian leaders who leverage the power of Twitter to advance the kingdom of Christ and add to the greater good. But there are times that leaders should just stay away from Twitter. Ironically, the people who should be muzzled are also the least likely to consider silence an option.

Aaron Morris writes a great blog about quips and context on Twitter. As I write this, I stare into a mirror and repeat: Tweeters are rarely as funny as they think they are, their sarcasm is not always obvious, and things on the Internet don’t go away. Morris’ blog quotes a deleted tweet, but it’s obviously not completely deleted. The Millennial generation is now coming to grips with the fact that the flipside of the value of transparency is that photo you just posted on Facebook can keep you from getting a job.

So leaders, next time you feel like engaging a complex topic by generalizing, simplifying, or making light of it, reconsider your plan. Write a blog and then tweet it. Or just retweet someone else, that way it’s their fault. (Darn, there goes that sarcasm again).

You can follow me on Twitter here.