Parish World :: Top Story

If Jesus Was on Facebook Would You Add Him As Your Friend?
By Msgr. Charles Pope

MAR. 2, 2012 (http://blog.adw.org) - I have come to notice that my Friday blogs have taken on a “freaky-Friday” sort of light-hearted quality. I figure readership is a little down on Friday evenings into Saturday and those who do read prefer a shorter text. This Friday evening post in no different.

The video below reminds me of an old Gospel song that says, Jesus is on the Main Line, tell him what you want, call him up and tell him what you want.

The song in the video below is silly, but with a serious message. With all the communicating we do today, how likely is it that God can get a message through?

It also leads me to ponder, what if the Lord WERE on Facebook? Let’s consider a few things:

The fact is God is not on Facebook in any conventional way. When you Go to Jesus’ page the “Facebook” logo is replaced with Seek always the face of the Lord (Psalm 105:4).

And to those who think they have “friended” Jesus, the Lord sends the reply, It was not you who chose me, it was I who chose you. (Jn 15:16)

And to those who have confirmed the friend request of Jesus, comes the reply: No one can confirm Jesus as “friend” except by the Holy Spirit (cf 1 Cor 12:3).

And if you choose to write on Jesus’ wall it isn’t there, since Scripture says, For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility (Eph 2:14).

And as for Jesus writing on your wall, he doesn’t have to. For Scripture says he’s looking right through it and speaking to you: There he stands behind our wall, gazing through the window, peering through the lattice…saying arise my beloved and come... (Song of Songs 2:9-10). Yes, that’s right Jesus can see right through your computer screen and into your very soul. No need to write on a wall, he speaks directly to your heart.

On the “friends” tab on Jesus’ page is only this statement: You are my friend if you do what I command you (Jn 15:14). And again, I call you friend, for I have revealed to you everything I have heard from my Father (Jn 15:15)

And when you look for the number of Jesus’ friends, there is no number listed, but only this message: Strive to enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. (Matt 7:13-14)

And as for the new timeline view in Facebook, you wouldn’t want that option on Jesus’ page since it would use all computer memory in the world, as Scripture says, Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written (John 21:25). And again, How precious to me are your thoughts, O God! How vast is the sum of them! Were I to count them, they would outnumber the grains of sand (Psalm 139:17-18).

OK. You get the point. If Jesus is on Facebook, he breaks all the conventions and reverses all expectations. He is there, but on his own terms and not on the shifting changing terms of Facebook’s fickle terms.

Enjoy this video. It’s corny but cute.
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