'Hashtag' Activists

The ‘hashtag’, love it, hate it, still not quite sure how to use it, it has become an internet sensation. Every status update, photo, comment is followed by a ‘hashtag’ of some sort. I even find myself using it when I am talking to someone! It’s a little bit ridiculous really. 

Some hashtags are great, they get a campaign trending, keep up awareness in social media of certain issues and unite people passionate about justice. For instance, the #bringbackourgirls hashtag for the girls kidnapped by the Boko Haram was incredibly popular. So is the #WeAreN, as a way of standing in solidarity with the Christians persecuted in Iraq. Or #SudanNow is another one, raising awareness for the plight of the community of South Sudan at present, as that country is torn apart by war. And as I say, these are great at maintaining momentum and attention for issues in the world of social media.

But the #bringbackourgirls hashtag still hasn’t seen the release of the 200 Nigerian school girls kidnapped by the Boko Haram. Remember them? And Jesus didn’t change the world through a hashtag. He did it hanging on a tree. Obviously Twitter wasn’t exactly around much in 1^st century AD, however, I think even if Jesus was on earth now, and had a Twiter and Facebook account, he wouldn’t just be hashtagging. Note an important word there. Just. There’s nothing wrong with social media campaigns, but seriously, how lazy have we become?! We write a 140 character tweet with a nice catchy or witty hashtag at the end. And then what? Have we become so comfortable that we have designed for ourselves a nice way to fight injustice from the comfort of our own homes? Jesus didn’t say carry your couch and follow me, he said carry your cross. A cross. The most horrendous form of execution the Romans could imagine. Where you slowly suffocate to death. Now we know Jesus died once for all on the cross, but what he is implying here is if you want to follow him, it’s going to be messy. It’s going to be painful. It could result in death. The problem with the hashtag campaigns is that our idea of a cross gains two more lines and becomes a lot easier to ‘follow,’ (in both the Biblical and the Twitter sense). I’m not saying we shouldn’t engage in our culture, we should, we just shouldn’t stop there.

I’m also not saying we should all pack our bags and head to Iraq, or Syria, or South Sudan, although if you can do that, do it! Go in Jesus name, perhaps that’s the cross he’s called you to carry. But I know not everyone can, so I’m saying do a bit more than join a ‘trending’ hashtag. We’re called to be in the world, but not of it. Let’s not follow the ‘trend.’ Let’s set a new one. One where campaigning for justice means getting your hands dirty. It means digging deep into your pockets. It means giving until it hurts, not just your money, but your time, your energy, your generosity.

I want to offer two practical ways in which you can do more than a hashtag to help change the world, particularly in Iraq, Gaza and South Sudan at the moment.

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•               Donate. Open Doors, Christian Aid, UNICEF, International Rescue Mission, Tearfund are just a few of the numerous amazing organisations working in these broken countries. Give more than 140 characters, give so that you feel it. Even if it means missing a Starbucks for one morning.

•      Pray, pray, pray, pray, pray. ‘If you ask for anything in my name, it will be given.’ (John 15:16, NIV). That’s a promise from Jesus. How many of us have spent hours, days, praying, and fasting for peace at the moment? When Jesus was praying in Gethsemane before his death, he was hurt that his disciples couldn’t stay awake for even one hour. (See Mark 14). I wonder if our friends in Iraq are thinking the same thing. Couldn’t you stay awake for one hour? Let me challenge you to try.

So as you’ve read this article, sorry it was a bit longer than a tweet, I encourage you to think about how you can act. How can you pick up your cross, not your phone, and follow Jesus? Even when it hurts. Indeed, two verses after the promise of answered prayer is this promise: ‘If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first.’ John 15:18, NIV). Following Jesus, not just on Twitter, but in real life, it’s painful. But could we try? I end with this: When Jesus returned and found his disciples sleeping a third time ‘they did not know what to say to him.’ (Mark 14:40, NIV). Let’s not be the same when we meet our LORD and our brothers and sisters who face horrors right now. Let’s not be  hashtag activists, let’s be real ones. 

We Are N

WeareN. This is the popular hashtag accompanying pictures of the letter ‘nun’, the first letter of the word Nazarene in Arabic, Nazarene meaning Christian. Many people have put this on their Facebook and Twitter profiles to stand in solidarity with those suffering horrendous things in Iraq. We are N. We are Christians. We follow Jesus. According to our Facebook profile picture at least.

But what when we’ve changed the photo, or when we leave the church building after ‘a really helpful talk’, do we just leave it there?

I’ve just returned from ten months in Uganda. I’m overwhelmed, I’m shocked and to be frank, I’m scared. I’m scared at how much difference an eight hour flight can make to what the world around me looks like. But even more than that, I’m scared at the distance we in the west seem to have put between us and the rest of the world, not eight hours, but a world away. We go to church and we sing songs of how great Jesus is and when all around is fading he is our strength. And it’s true, he is wonderful, I’m a big fan. But how often do we simply sing these songs and listen to these talks with tunnel vision. Applying it to my life, to me, myself and I? When all in our lives in fading. What about people who are dying every single day from preventable diseases? What about children who are being beheaded in Iraq? What about the despair that is so evident in Gaza right now? Can we really sing that with those in mind, because we know we will act on behalf of them? Have we limited the gospel of Jesus so much to ourselves that we go to church hoping for some sort of personal transaction? Like a spiritual ‘ATM.’ LORD, I’ll give you an a hour and a half and if you could top me up spiritually, give me a bit of peace, help me through this week and let me hear a talk that reminds me that you love me that would be dandy, and then we’ll both be on our way, thanks very much, see you next week.

The gospel of Jesus is so, so much more than that. It’s life changing. It’s transformative. It messes you up. Because your concern, your heart, your desire for Jesus’ help isn’t just personal anymore. It’s about others. You feel other’s pain. You hurt for those who hurt, you mourn with those who mourn. I have been absolutely broken about the situation in Iraq. Because my faith is no longer just about ‘self-help.’ It’s about Jesus. It’s about his children, those who are hurting, broken, scared, abused, tortured, being killed. So rather than go to church, or change my profile picture, and leave it there, and get on with my life, I want to do everything in my power to eradicate injustice. You may read that sentence and think I don’t have much power. I’m an unemployed graduate. So yes, in earthly terms in don’t have much power. But thankfully my identity is not based on earthly terms, it’s in heaven’s currency, and according to God, ‘all authority in heaven and earth has been given to me.’ I have power, because I trust in Jesus, and it’s his power, manifesting itself in me. The Bible describes Jesus as a roaring lion, friends, let’s set that lion free in the name of justice! Let’s go out in power and in might, proclaiming the word of the LORD! Not because we ought to, not for some sort of quota, but because when you follow Jesus your personal satisfaction is not enough anymore. Things going well in your own bubble is not satisfying. Because you see this broken world and you mourn. And as Jesus reminds us, ‘the poor will always be with you.’ So we always need to be out, loving people, serving people, getting down on our knees for people, buying a cup of coffee for someone going through a tough time. Jesus loves us so much he died for us, and he calls us to love like that.

Jesus messes you up. He changes everything. Life ceases to be about your own personal comfort and becomes a relentless pursuit of justice, freedom, love and peace. So let us show the world that we are N. Not just by our Facebook and Twitter profiles, but by the love of Jesus, set in us, so that we can’t help but love people, serve people, and see this world transformed.