(I could just leave it at that, couldn't I, and a good 83% or so of you faithful readers would probably join me in a poignant sigh and shake of the head...)
Social media is great. I had email from its earliest, dialup days, and have been surfing the web (or "net" as we first called it) since it existed. I got on FB years and years ago - just as MySpace and AOL were in the earliest spasms of their demise. I've had a blog as long as blogs were a thing, and have tried out Twitter, Instagram, Reddit, and most of the other social media things that I'm aware of. (Though, granted, being old enough to remember life before email also means I'm probably too old to understand or know about the latest and greatest options.) In short, I appreciate social media. I've forwarded and reposted with the best of them. But, I've also been in a relationship with the online world long enough to recognize its problems, especially for missionaries.
Don't get me wrong - I adore more than words can say that I can Skype with my family and they can keep up with what we're doing down here online. It's even better that it runs both ways, so we can be voyeurs too! Heck, I'm using Blogger right now as a means to talk about social media with all of you. Clearly, I appreciate this stuff. The advances in technology (especially for social purposes) of the last 10 years are truly mind boggling, and I, like most missionaries, am grateful for them literally every single day.
However, social media does give me pause.
Back in our "regular life" days, I never gave it a second thought what I put online. I mean, I didn't swear or repost things that said, "If you don't share this in the next ten seconds some horrible tragedy will befall you." I like to think I was conscientious of others. And, of course, I was careful not to put my social security number out there or tell the world that I was going on vacation and our house and all its possessions would only be guarded by a couple lazy cats. Aside from the normal precautions, though, I put up whatever I wanted, and didn't really consider what other people might think of it. That's not the case now.
First off, there are safety concerns that are different here. Let me reiterate in no uncertain terms - we have NEVER felt unsafe in Guatemala, and we know God and his giant, muscular, sword-wielding angels are always with us. But, the statistics for this nation are less than good. We've known people who have had scary things happen to them. I won't elaborate, but it's definitely enough to make us extra thoughtful and prayerful about what we post. In the States, we took for granted that people who could and would protect us were just a 911 call away. There is no 911 here. In the States, we looked more or less like everyone else (except for being a bit better looking, perhaps). Here, we kinda sorta stand out a little bit, and have to be aware of that. In the States, we were always a lower-middle class family, and the fact that most of our possessions came from Goodwill or Salvation Army meant that they'd already literally been picked over and discarded once by the time we got them, so they weren't likely to appeal to the criminal class or anyone else. Here, even though we make next to nothing in the States for a family of 5, we're considered wealthy. (Of course, we're assumed to be even more so simply because of our light skin and country of origin). Because of all of those things, we have to think twice about what we post simply for safety's sake.
I can't imagine what it would be like for missionaries living in countries where it's dangerous or illegal to share the Gospel!
Another reason we're cautious, though, has nothing to do with the people here, and everything to do with the people back home. For some reason, everyone has a different and very specific idea of what a missionary is, and what a missionary should do... and NOT do. For example, some Christian folks we know are offended by the fact that we don't drink alcohol. Others think it highly improper that we have an X-Box and sometimes play <gasp> fighting games. What this means, then, is that every time we put something up on FB, we're inviting scrutiny of our ministry (and even our Christianity) in a way. Perhaps someone will be bothered by a secular CD or movie in the background of a picture, or a book by an author (Christian or otherwise) that they don't approve of, or a food package for an item that isn't missionary-y enough (don't laugh - this happens). We want, above all things, to be effective for Christ's sake, and therefore we strive to live in peace with all people as much as possible (Rom. 12:18), not cause others to stumble (1 Cor. 10:32), and avoid even the appearance of evil (1 Thes. 5:22). The trouble comes in not knowing what strange thing (to us) could cause these problems! Honestly, judgement and undue scrutiny of one believer by another for inconsequential things is one of the biggest problems in Christianity today, and it can be even harder for missionaries.
But, the last reason we try to be careful what we post is probably the most difficult. We live on donations. Therefore, we sometimes don't feel like we can do what we need to do with our money without being criticized. In the past (when we had regular jobs like most people), we considered whether or not we could afford something, and prayed about if God wanted us to buy or do it before we made any decisions. Now, we have to add another step and really consider what others might think. Please don't get me wrong - we try to be VERY faithful stewards of the funds God so graciously puts into our hands by the hard work and generous donations of others. (Trust me - we're some of the most frugal people you will meet!) BUT, it's hard to ensure that every social media post looks "frugal enough" for everyone's tastes. If we throw up a picture of ourselves eating out at a restaurant, for example, people might think we do so all the time, instead of understanding that we were attending a ministry dinner that was a part of our work here. If we put up a picture of our kids in a hotel or at the beach, folks might start imagining how much it would cost them to go to the same type of place, not realizing that things are not NEARLY as expensive (or nice) here as they are in the States, and we're required to take such a trip in order to stay in Guatemala to continue our ministry. Plus, going for the very cheapest option here can sometimes mean truly appalling accommodations, or even being unsafe. I know it sounds a little ridiculous, but it's also important. It sometimes feels like we can't afford (literally and figuratively) to offend people or make them think we're misusing donations. That's tough.
So, what's a social (media) missionary to do? Should we start adding captions to all pictures explaining away any possible misunderstandings or misinterpretations? ("The name brand shirt was given to us and that's 100% fair trade coffee! I swear!") Start censuring with bold, black lines over any pictures items that could be questionable? ("Sorry, family back home. I've blotted out all the smiles! Missionaries can't look too happy, after all...") Just leave out any and all information that could be problematic? ("Today we --------ed in the city of -------------- with a group of -------------...") Just give up on social media all together?
Um, maybe not. Instead, maybe I'll write a blog post about the challenges of being a missionary with social media, which will help people be thoughtful about their own reactions to posts and updates, and let them know just how hard missionaries really do try to not offend people (but to please Christ, above all). Who knows, it just might work, but not unless you hit ctrl+F7 and forward this blog post to 30 people in the next minute.
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