These days it seems like the world is made up of divisive opinions. Social media, once a place where pictures of dinners and dogs reigned, has now become a labyrinth of opposing (and confusing) views, statistics, memes, name-calling, and arguments. 

Health experts may point out the negative effects of social media usage on our attention spans or mental well-being. But personally, it seems to me that the words and thoughts flung easily from keyboards have the power to be the most dangerous—especially when we forget we are talking to and about real people.

“When we follow after Jesus, the world itself is our neighborhood.”

In Luke 10:25-37, we see Jesus telling an expert of the law to love his neighbor. He says that combined with loving God, loving neighbors is a key to inheriting eternal life. Jesus then went on to explain that a neighbor is not just someone living in close proximity to our house. This expanded circle of “neighbor-ness” has deep implications for Christ-followers. It means while the person living in the apartment next door needs my care and love, so does everyone. When we follow after Jesus, the world itself is our neighborhood.

When we comment online, do we remember we’re talking to a neighbor? If we’re discussing issues that directly impact a particular segment of the population, do we remember their neighbor status as we comment? Whether the object of our sentence lives next door or somewhere across the globe, the call is clear. Everyone is our neighbor. And Jesus asks us to do like the Good Samaritan—notice their need, be moved by compassion, and offer tangible gestures of care.

What’s the danger, one might ask? Commenting negatively about a celebrity or people across the world won’t directly impact them, right? While that may be true, I would propose the danger lies in how our words shape our thoughts and then our actions. We cannot care for someone while simultaneously disparaging them. Our minds don’t have the capacity to demonstrate generosity to someone we scorn. Praying for someone in need is not possible when we’ve invested energy in putting them down.

A secondary danger lies in how our words and thoughts about others (online or off) impact people around us. We’re all influencers in our spheres. Whether it’s our children, our Sunday School classmates, or our co-workers, they’re watching us for cues about how Christ-followers speak and act. 

With every stroke of the keyboard and opinion shared around the water cooler, we get to choose. May we be people who speak words of life, compassion, and care. May we have eyes to see the humanity in every person. May we “go and do likewise.”