There is undoubtedly a place for healthy discussion, for a forum in which issues of major and minor, congregational and personal, concern can be worked through. But to wade into the marketplace with vitriol and vindictiveness against a brother or sister is never the gospel way, and is always a loss for the cause of Christ.

For the present generation the private sphere has been sacrificed on the altar of easy publicity, and the democratic platforms of social media. The days wherein a public figure could hold private opinions unmolested are largely over, and as ordinary citizens we have come to believe that even our thoughts need a forum in order to be validated. This is an entirely new cognitive category for all of us and, as can often be the case, the church is more than a little behind the curve on how best to work within it.

This is certainly true in the case of discussion and disagreement between Christian brothers and sisters. Spend a small amount of time on social media examining the contours of much modern Christian debate and you might well come away discouraged and a little disillusioned – it is not a pleasant or irenic space. My Twitter feed is divided almost evenly between Christians and non-Christians, the former engaging with theology, the latter with poetry and literature. It is a source of genuine sadness to me that the second category tends to be the more open minded, open handed, and generous in spirit. On the other hand, Christians and social media can be a toxic blend.

In a previous post I thought through the partisan nature of much online discussion among Christians, and here I want to explore something which we can easily forget when we are interacting and disagreeing online – the world is watching.

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