by Fred Moleck
Lenten Online Social Networking Abstinence
A couple of TableTalks ago, I began a series of Lenten observations. In one of them I talked about technological
over kill.A friend reports of hearing one of the best sermons on the need to separate one’s self from the daily grind of concerns and demands. The examples were drawn from today’s technological craze for instant communication.
Cell phones, text messaging, social-networking websites—all keep us in touch with whomever we choose. It also provides a drowning possibility with hundreds of irrelevancies.
I no longer despair. There is a countermovement to “unplug.”
In the April 7 issue of The Christian Century, there is a report on a nineteen-year-old who began abstinence on Ash Wednesday. The abstinence was not the classic carnivore abstinence or drinking abstinence.
His abstinence was removing Facebook from his daily routine. It appears a trend is growing.
The Italian bishops are encouraging Catholics to unplug. Considering how loquacious some of my Italian friends are, the discipline is a strong one.
In the article quotes Fr. John Grimm, who teaches at Seton Hall University: “to replace the time we spend doing something we enjoy with charitable acts, prayer, spiritual reading or something else that brings us closer to God.”
The Facebook abstinence has several “Giving Up Facebook for Lent” groups on the site encouraging more to join.
According to the article, “Thousands joined ‘Giving Up Facebook for Lent’ groups on the site, replacing the photos on their profiles with boxes announcing that they will be absent for the next six weeks.”
Thanks be to God! In twenty-first-century parlance, here are the ancient principles of fasting, almsgiving, and prayer being rearticulated using twenty-first-century cultural tools that could become addictive and distracting.
Instead of fasting from food and drink, one fasts from technological diversions. Instead of giving alms, one gives time to acts of charity or even praying the psalms.
Extracting one’s self from that milieu could be seen as removing one’s self from downtown Jerusalem and heading for the desert—Just like Jesus did.
Unplugging the iPods could parallel the hermit monks and nuns who craved both exterior and interior space.
Not gazing at the Facebook just might set up some concentrated gazing on one’s environment to see what can be redeemed.
The avenue to the Holy One always needs to be unencumbered. Turning off and turning inward is a good start, especially with Holy Week just around the corner.
. . . And no one needs to know.
You can reach Fred Moleck via email at fmoleck@comcast.net