“Social media takes rage to a new level. The online banter blisters and bruises. Words we might never say to a person’s face, we feel safe to post on the internet. Rudeness has reached the point where we can all relate to the sign I saw in a medical lab: ‘If you are grouchy, rude, impatient, or inconsiderate, there will be a $10 charge just for putting up with you.’ “- Max Lucado
“Greet one another with a holy kiss.”- Romans 16:16 (NIV)
In Chapter 5 (“The Fine Art of Saying ‘Hello’ “) of How Happiness Happens, Max Lucado notes that a tariff on tackiness carries a certain appeal. However, Pastor Lucado asserts, the apostle Paul suggests a more practical response in Romans 16:16.
Yet, we tend to overlook passages such as Romans 16:16. Because Paul spent the previous fifteen chapters of Romans guiding his readers to what Max calls the Yosemite forest of Christian doctrine. For example, Paul weighs in on such topics as salvation by faith, sanctification, and election. But, in Chapter 16 Paul talks about kind greetings. As Max quips, “In a meadow of forests and oaks, this command feels like a sapling.”
So, why is it such a big deal that we must be careful to greet one another? When we greet someone out of respect, we show a mindfulness of that person’s situation.
In conclusion, Pasto Lucado relates a true story once told by John Henry Howett. Rev. Howett (1864-1923) was an influential British Protestant preacher in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. An English convict, just released from prison after three years, happened to pass the mayor of Darlington, his home town. To the ex-con’s surprise, the mayor paused, tipped his hat, and cheerfully greeted the man.
Years later the two accidentally met in another city. Although the mayor failed to recognize the ex-con, that man never forgot the mayor’s kindness. He thanked the mayor for what he’d done for him. The mayor looked puzzled. So the ex-con responded, “You spoke a kind word to me, and it changed my life.”
What seems small to you, someone else views as huge!
Today’s question: What rage have you experienced or expressed on social media? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “Greet one another for your sake – and theirs!”
