I ponder this question often: Would Jesus have tweeted?

There are two modes of thought; one is evangelistic, which would argue that he would have a twitter account, and the other is ascetic, which argues that he would not have tweeted. Let’s explore these two perspectives.

Before I go on, I don’t want to limit the conversation to merely Twitter. The entirety of social media is in play here, so we could make similar arguments as to whether Jesus would be on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube etc. The basic thought processes remain and differ only slightly based on delivery and reach regardless of which platform we are speaking of. Keep that in mind when you comment with your opinion in the comment box.

To Tweet is to Evangelize

When social media first came on the scene, pioneers for the “New Evangelization” as they were calling it in those days (and still, today) were adamant about the power of these platforms to reach large audiences in no time flat. Granted, the use of social media wasn’t the crux of the New Evangelization, but it was becoming to be a large part of it. I know because I was one of the zealots for this cause. Since the inception of these platforms, I’ve been intrigued by the fact that with a post, status update, or a 140 character limit tweet (which has been raised to 280 characters since I began in the “OG” days), I could preach Jesus Christ to the digital masses.’

It wasn’t just me. The laity soon hopped on board. Bishops began opening up accounts, even the Pope launched a daily twitter campaign in almost every major world language. The world was coming together through their screens, so it seemed logical that if you wanted to be a light for the world, you would need to have a digital presence. This was true especially for Bishops and Priests who, according to Pope Francis, must be “shepherds who smell like their sheep.”

The question is, would Jesus have done this if he were with us pre-resurrection in today’s world? Would he have opened a Twitter account and extended his evangelistic reach by limiting his words to 280 characters or less? Would he perform hashtag miracles? Would he “follow” only the downtrodden and neglected. Would he “direct message” his forgiveness to those most in need of his mercy?

The Modern Ascetic- Having No Tweeps

As you might have known, I gave up all social media a couple months back (save the basics of Facebook to remain connected with my family). It has been incredibly liberating. I log on to Facebook once or twice a day. I don’t miss Instagram. I really don’t miss Twitter.

So, you can say that I’m coming at this argument with a bias. I don’t think Jesus would have tweeted. I think it was in his nature to evangelize in the flesh. He was a people person when he preached, he needed to hear them, see them, touch them.

Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, one of the greatest evangelizers in the use of “old media” might even agree with me. He wrote,

“There are three intimacies in love: hearing, seeing, and touching. We could never love anyone unless we first know him or hear his voice. Next, after hearing a voice, one wishes to see the person. Vision is the second intimacy. Then finally, there comes the greatest of all intimacies, which only a few may enjoy, and that is the intimacy of touch. The Son of God made Man touched the leper in order to annihilate distance between the Giver and the receiver, between the Lover and the beloved, to prove sympathy by contact, to identify Himself with the woes of others….” Sheen adds, “Touch is the language of love” (source*).

You can’t touch through Twitter. You can’t “smell like the sheep” if you only communicate with them via status updates. You can’t heal through digital circuitry. You can’t have your sins forgiven in an online confessional nor receive Christ’s body and blood through Amazon prime’s guaranteed two-day delivery.

Nor will we ever do such things.

Catholics are different. We were made to contradict the currents of the world. We are God’s adopted children who listen when he tells us “Do not love the world or the things of the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him” (1 John 2:5). We are the salt of the earth, a light in the darkness, a strange breed of humanity that believes that God was made flesh to save us, not made digital to evangelize us.

So, I can see it both ways. Social media provides us with a means to evangelize that far outshines the possibilities to reach a wider audience than any other time in the history of the world. However, digital asceticism seems to be a perfect means by which people can regain the spiritual connection that the distractions of social media have caused to their souls. I think that’s how Jesus would treat it today.

What do you think? Would Jesus have tweeted?

Let me know in the comment box. I am truly interested in your thoughts on this.

Also, my newest book, Detached, is available for pre-order. If you desire to strengthen your relationship with God by harnessing technology’s power over your life, I would highly recommend getting a copy. It is the only book in print that guides you toward freedom from screen distractions and peace in your soul.

*Sheen, Fulton J., Sympathy, Walk with God, Maco Magazine Corporation, 1965