The advent of social media has exposed patrons to many things – the good, the bad, and the ugly.
Through the world of social media, new relationships have been formed, networks built, businesses established, partnerships consolidated, avenues created for the preaching of the gospel, reaching the unreached, and disciplining converts.
Within the social media space, opportunities have been created for people to have fun, tell their stories, and enjoy themselves while relieving tension, depression, and aggression related to the real world.
However, the Spirit of God began to awaken me to a subtle yet looming danger creeping into our social media space, which relates to how iniquity is being packaged and presented in the form of comedy.
My instincts were corroborated by studies into content from the media entertainment perspective, which revealed three humor types: disparaging, slapstick, and coping humors.
Now, all these humor types seem to promote a certain kind of behavior that is anti-Christian and ungodly, raising red flags that should not be overlooked by Christian consumers of these contents.
For as much as the scripture encourages that a cheerful spirit is good medicine (Proverbs 17:22), we are also admonished to be mindful of the schemes of the enemy, bearing in mind that Satan continues to present evil and untruth in a manner that makes it harmless, weightless, and painless but leaves long-term devastating effects if not dealt with.
In Genesis 4:7, God warned Cain that sin was crouching at his door, desiring to have him, but he must rule over it.
Similarly, dearly beloved, the sin crouching at our doors are some of the comedy skits on the various social media platforms we access on our phones, tablets, and laptops.
These skits are packaged in various storytelling forms aimed at giving consumers entertaining gratification, considering how easily they are absorbed and deconstructed within minutes of access.
Unfortunately, a large portion of some of these skits, though creating laughter, are demystifying sin, promoting immorality, glorifying fraud, applauding promiscuity, endorsing nudity, and validating obscenity, thereby frustrating our communal living, staining our faith, tarnishing our sense of decency, and blinding our proper conduct as a Christian society.
In the light of this, the call is being made for believers to guard and guide against being thrown into this seemingly harmless but devastating trappings from the pit of hell.
For the kingdom of Heaven is not about eating and drinking but about righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.
With the understanding that there are three gates to a person’s soul – the eye gate, the ear gate, and the mouth gate, there is a need for a person to be wary of what one consumes on social media platforms in order not to be contaminated.
The Apostle Paul, mentoring the church in Corinth, called for a cleansing of all filthiness in the flesh and in the spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of the Lord (2 Corinthians 7:1).
Dearly beloved, the danger is that some of these skits are eroding time-tested family value systems that promote honesty, hard work, integrity, tolerance, and instead painting a picture of the pursuit of money, licentious and lascivious behavior, and a get-rich-quick syndrome among the youth.
No wonder there are increases in crime rates, ritual murders, online fraud, and extreme wickedness in our societies.
With the great call by the church for moral vision and national development, it is humbly suggested that attention is given to the sanitization of the social media space through the investment and creation of counter skits that are clean, which promote godliness, shape character, and advance the kingdom.
Additionally, Christians are admonished to take responsibility for their soul’s health by drawing lines of resistance and clearly manning the borders of their spirit man, for in us is the Spirit of love, power, and self-control.
Like Daniel and Job, we ought to have a social media creed to see no evil, hear no evil, and say no evil within that space.
Moreover, parental control of children on social media should be stricter and stronger if moral discipline can be instilled in the next generation.
Additionally, attention should be given to the training and equipping of young and creative Christian content producers. Systems should be put in place to develop these skills so they can produce content that is edifying and life-transforming.
Christian business magnates could consider setting up creative and theater schools for training videographers, content creators, and skit producers to produce content to counteract what is being served on the social media market.
Christians on social media should see that space as a place for influence and not a waste of time. It is obvious one needs to control his or her use of social media, but we should not throw the baby and the bathwater away. Please, once you have created the page, be active on it. Share that video, post that thought, be open about your faith, and proudly share it – Freely we have received, and freely we should give, including sharing on social media.
Finally, there is a need to be watchful so our light is not darkness, bearing in mind that some things may be permissible for us, but not all things are beneficial.
Maranatha – Come, Lord Jesus.
Written by Pastor Kwasi Asante Annor (General Manager, PENT TV)