The Gospel in 140 Characters

Social media has seriously “dumbed down” the average modern reader.  While the amount of communication taking place is quickly reaching a singularity, the average size of the communication is becoming smaller and its content is become more destitute. Between Facebook, Twitter, Google+, Instagram, and the plethora of other social media sites, our social communication has been reduced to a series of quips, memes, social media shorthand, and photo commentary.  Seriously, when was the last time you actually sat down and wrote someone a real letter?  For that matter, even emails that actually communicate are becoming less commonplace.  They have been replaced with texting and instant messaging – both of which are reduced in scope and content due to the limitations of the medium.  As a result, proper grammar and spelling have become nonexistent and the art of communicating through the written – or spoken - word may be in danger of becoming extinct.   

Hopefully, that will never take place.  Nevertheless, the world is quickly becoming filled up with the noise of social media balderdash. The virtual sphere of the internet is brimming with tweets and posts of “Checking in at” and “Look what I ate” and “See how cute my dog is” – most of which the rest of us (except Grandma and perhaps Aunt Jilian) could care less about.  We are reaching more and more people, but we are actually communicating less and less meaningful content.  Let’s not even talk about the narcissistic tendencies that social media is uncovering as we all strive eagerly to see how many “likes” we can get (for the record, there is absolutely nothing sadder – or more disturbing - than a middle aged man posting a “selfie” – I’m just saying).

Within that abominable pandemonium of substandard vocabulary and second-rate grammar has risen a new genre of literature that can only be described as Pithy Philosophy – the “art” of divulging one’s own philosophical ideals in 140 characters or less.   In the midst of all the megalomaniacal posts there are actually those using social media to promote their personal philosophies.   A short tweet here or perhaps a post there and before we know what has happened, everyone is an expert in something. It has become too easy for people who only a few decades ago would never have been able to garner an audience of more than 5 or 10 people to have tens of thousands of “followers” or hundreds if not thousands of “friends” who have philosophical and metaphysical commonality with them.   Is there anything wrong with this new genre of literature?  I would say no.  If social media can be used to get out whatever message you want to promote, and if people are willing to read what you post, then more power to you and your cause. 

Christianity is not immune to this modern cultural phenomenon. We love to post Bible verses – which is admittedly a fantastic way to get the Word of God “out there” – and to espouse our personal versions of Christian Philosophy through either our own quotes or those of our favorite Christian or inspirational figures.  I am personally “guilty” (if guilt is the proper term) of this myself.  My personal favorites are A. W. Tozer, C. S. Lewis, Charles Spurgeon, and of course quotes from my own books (www.amazon.com/author/joeldison) – not that I am vainglorious or anything.   :/

However, the question must be asked: Can we really be true to the Gospel of Jesus Christ by spouting off self-contained 140-character epigrams?  There was a time in days gone by when the title or by-line of a work of literature would be as many characters as most of our modern day tweets.   Our would-be profundities on the Love of God and the work of Christ would not even suffice as an introduction to the masterful theological dissertations of days gone by.  For example, the English translation of John Calvin’s Institutes of the Christian Religion is over 1800 pages long.  Similarly, Augustine of Hippo’s City of God was broken down into 23 separate sections or “books” because of its length.  Sure, there are good books being written today – perhaps more books now than ever before.  However, when we spend all our time scrolling through our timelines, who has time to actually read a real work of literature anymore?

More and more, we are reducing the message of God’s word into smaller and smaller bites.  This may have been good when we children, but we are (educated?) adults who are supposed to have the capacity for something greater.  Admittedly, social media has created a greater and greater opportunity for exposure to the gospel – and that is most certainly a good thing – but one has to wonder whether or not the bigger picture of God’s word is being missed due to the brevity of the message being presented.  I’m not trying to say that posting the “verse of the day” is a bad thing, but if our daily devotional time is reduced to hitting “like” on a couple of bible verses posted by our friends or re-tweeting an inspirational quote from Billy Graham then we have somehow strayed from the path. True discipleship requires in-depth study of and meditation upon God’s word.   If we are not careful, we will fall into the same trap as the readers of the author of Hebrews, who in Hebrews 5:12 chastised them for still feeding on spiritual milk when they should be maturing and teaching the deep mysteries of the Word of God.  That’s what I think most of our Pithy Philosophy is at best – milk.  I believe it was mega-church pastor David Platt who once said that 15 minute sermons make 15 minute Christians (how is that for Pithy Philosophy?).  If that is true, though, what do 140-Character sermons make?

With that said, I asked myself (just because I was curious) whether or not the gospel really could be shared accurately in 140 characters or less.   The depths of the gospel may take a lifetime to discover, but the gospel itself is quite simple.  Can the message of Jesus Christ be condensed into a single tweet and carry with it everything needed for eternal life?  I am still not sure about the second half of that question and would love your thoughts on it.  However, as to the first half of the question and after careful consideration, I did manage to get what I believe to be the full gospel into a single tweet.  And so without further commentary, here is the gospel in 140 characters (actually it is 137 characters, but who’s really counting):

Jesus was God, but became a man. He lived perfectly, but died unjustly. He arose to grant eternal life. Repent of your sin. Trust in Him.

By the way, I tweeted that before publishing this blog.  @jjdison

LOL >>> by the way... a good friend of mine read this post and reminded me that John 3:16 is less than 140 characters. ***FACE PALM***

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.