Have you ever heard the phrase “the end justifies the means”? Many people use it to justify their actions, arguing that the means, the form or the practice do not matter as long as they achieve what they set out to do. This is the same thought of pragmatism, but not the theological thought that should govern the servants of God.
Surely you have entered social media and seen actions committed by people who are supposedly Christians and you wonder why they do those things. The answer is unfortunate but very simple: The algorithm. Those types of people who claim to be Christians are the product of the algorithm, of what has worked for them, but not of what is pious and pure before God, as Paul says in Philippians:
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things.
9 Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
Philippians 4:8-9
The Internet has been of great benefit to the expansion of the kingdom of God, that is a fact that we can never deny. But it is also true that it has become a weapon for the gospel to be distorted, shamed and discredited by people who do not seek the growth of the kingdom of God, but rather that they themselves can grow, have views and be known throughout the world, but at what price?
An example of this is to see how many brothers on social media throw their dirty laundry on the ground. Why? Because they know that the algorithm will reward them, because people love gossip. With actions like these, they forget chapters of the Bible such as First Corinthians 6, which tells us that intimate matters of the Church should not be brought before courts that are not Christian. In short, intimate matters of the Church should not be shared with those who are not of the Church.
Let us not be a product of the algorithm, let us be a product of what God wants for us, which is contemplated in His Word. We are not products of the internet, we are servants of Christ bought at a very high price, this, at the price of blood. Let us understand our calling and act as is worthy in a world that is in decline.