Vitriol vacation

Years ago, my seminary opened a terrific health center. It featured a gym, pool, workout stations, running track and racquetball courts. And since most folks worked out just before, during or immediately after the business day, it also came equipped with spacious locker rooms.

Within a week of the health center's opening, the head of the seminary—a respected scholar and statesman—showed up early one morning for a workout. An hour later, as he strolled to the shower with just a towel, one of the longtime staff members piped up: "We're seeing our esteemed president in a whole new light!"

That's kind of what it's like to log on to Facebook these days. I'm seeing friends in a whole new light. And just like the scene in the seminary locker room, it's not exactly flattering.

Social media like Facebook and Twitter provide enormously powerful tools for communication.  Folks can express everything from their fleeting thoughts and feelings to their deepest philosophies and emotions. And they do.

Sometimes, reading Facebook reminds me of pondering bio-medical ethics.  Our technical expertise extends far beyond our wisdom to exercise it.

This seems to be compounded with Facebook because of an ironic fact: It's at once solitary and private and also transparent and public. And some folks don't seem to get that.

So, I've read posts from friends whom I know never would shout at another person or publicly denigrate their beliefs and commitments. Except they do it on Facebook, where hundreds and possibly thousands of others can read it and respond. And they do.

All this has ramped up in the past few weeks, and we're probably only seeing a glimmer of what it will be like before Election Day. I shudder to think of the fractured friendships, not to mention the damaged reputations, that will litter the social network like so much collateral damage of war.

Ironically, Facebook supposedly is a conversation among "friends." But it doesn't feel very friendly amid the coarse, take-no-prisoners political discourse of our era.

Maybe Christians should think about how they represent Christ—whatever their political persuasion—before they start ripping on the candidates and the citizens who follow and support the candidates.

We're going to hold a political election soon. Obviously, some will win and others lose. But it will be infinitely harder to take up the tasks of normal time—like making this country work—if the remains of battered, bloody and bruised "friendships" litter the landscape.