Simon Kennedy writes for Mere Orthodoxy about how Christians need to be circumspect about how they engage publicly. He sees very few individuals as cut out to properly express faith publicly.
In light of this framework, I think Christians ought to rethink their public engagement. Public Christianity is, in my view, a space where very few people should play. Some are called to it. Billy Graham could appear on national television and preach the gospel to millions. Tim Keller can appear on ABC News and in the New York Times and offer a credible, indeed winsome, version of Public Christianity. Australian figures like Greg Sheridan and Martyn Iles fit this mold, as do English clergymen Giles Fraser and Calvin Robinson.
Kennedy sees a growing danger in public missteps for Christians and he warns of using social media.
For most of the remainder of Christians, we need to take a step back. Public Christianity is now a dangerous, challenging space. I recommend something like Jake Meador did in his article: get off Facebook, or Twitter, or whatever your social media drug is. And touch grass.
His call to abandon social media is hardly unique, and he is making a point here that many others, such as Jaron Lanier and Cal Newport, have made to larger audiences. However, what is different about Kennedy’s advice is that it comes at a time of additional difficulty in advocating Christian positions.
