The Unfriend Trend

Buck The Trend and Be A Friend!

I discovered that a family member unfriended me on social media recently. She wasn’t the first person in my family to remove me from their digital feed. Unfriending on social media seems to have become a trendy thing to do with those who don’t hold to the same ideals or support the same things that we do.

It seems like such a small thing, this unfriending trend, but I found it to be hurtful and confusing when people in my life chose to remove me, simply because of my beliefs or association with others. We had no disagreements. There were no condemning or political posts. I was simply viewed as “the other side” and therefore, not worthy of even showing up on their social media newsfeed.

This leaves me wondering, how are we supposed to reach across the divide and find healing for our nation if we only surround ourselves with those who agree with us on every topic? Where is the diversity and tolerance that we seek? If we are to fulfill the great commission Jesus gave us in Matthew 28, we can’t surround ourselves with only like-minded people.

Reconciliation in our divided nation doesn’t start with us purging people from our friends lists because of their differing views, it starts when we are willing to do the work of building bridges through open dialogue and attentive listening. Connection, not division, brings healing.

Instead of following the trend of unfriending, unfollowing, and uninviting, let’s be the ones to reach across the divide. Let’s make space at our table for someone who sees things a little differently than we do. Let’s choose to do the hard work of building relationships rather than dismissing them with a few clicks.

Our nation doesn’t need more division, it needs healing, and healing is found when we come together in civil conversation and actually listen to one another. When unfriending is trending, let’s choose to buck the trend and reach out to our neighbors by showing them the love of Christ.

If a little thing like social media played such a big part in dividing us, maybe it can become a useful tool in bringing us back together. Unity has to start somewhere. Let’s start with our followers.

Reflection

Have you ever been unfriended or unfollowed because of your faith? How did it make you feel?
How can you reach out to someone that you are no longer connected to through social media to begin a bridge building conversation?
What is one way you can be the hands and feet of Jesus on your social media networks today?