Facebook has brought me back in touch with friends, classmates and colleagues that I have not seen for many years, and has given me glimpses into their lives. Status updates, web links and uploaded photos indicate our personalities, passions and priorities as we each stand in an individual corner in cyberspace and clamor for attention. Through Facebook, I discovered that one of my high school classmates openly lives an “alternative” lifestyle, many of my old friends are obese, most are passionately bragging about their kids, several have taken up running, cycling and hiking as hobbies, one was teaching his children to scuba dive, some changed jobs, others lost jobs, and some seem to spend endless hours playing online games. I also get to know one's political and religious views, as well as favorite movies, songs, books, and quotes, and can generally synthesize a crude idea of the person, or at least the image that he/she wishes to portray. As an example, my Facebook page indicates that I'm a geezer who is married with kids, is a Christian, listens to classical music, runs marathons, works as a pediatric gastroenterologist, and shares similar political views with his wife. It's not a complete picture, but it's not necessarily an inaccurate one.
Oftentimes, what one does not post on Facebook also speaks volumes about the person. Imagine a married man not mentioning anything about his wife and declares that he is seeking “friendship”, or parents being mum about their children while waxing eloquently about their work and hobbies – these would be “red flags” that suggest the possibility of serious relational problems. Fortunately, such glaring omissions are rare among my friends with well-maintained Facebook pages. Nevertheless, as I curiously perused the profiles of friends who had the greatest impact in my life, i.e, those whose lives, words and actions led me to become a Christian many years ago, I became quite distressed by what I did not see.
I had several Christian friends in high school who invited me to church meetings and services, and through their witness and friendship eventually received Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior during the summer after my junior year in high school. I have not seen many of them over the years, but was quite excited to find most of them via Facebook, and wanted to know what the Lord has been doing in their lives. Not surprisingly, most are married with children after more than 27 years, one became a missionary, some others are also living abroad, and others have been leading interesting lives as well. However, among those who had the most instrumental roles in my becoming a Christian, there was no mention of their faith, their participation in the body of Christ, or of God. It seems that their career pursuits, hobbies and sundry interests have received ample attention, but there was nothing in their Facebook postings that remotely suggested a Christian worldview. It was as if they never knew God.
What happened to my friends? Is it possible to become a Christian and then not become one? Did the Holy Spirit actually regenerate their hearts and redeem them? Were they never saved in the first place? I am afraid to find out.
Whoever acknowledges me before men, I will also acknowledge him before my Father in heaven. But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven.
(Matthew 10:32-33)
If Christ is real, and if I claim that He reigns in my heart, I cannot help but put Him first in my thoughts, words and actions. As a husband and proud father of two children, it does not take long before my wife and kids are mentioned in any conversation. Will I acknowledge Christ before men with equal ease and fervor?
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