There is Something Greater Here

“There is something greater than Jonah here.” // Luke 11:32

I’m considering deleting social media. 

As I discern, I find myself wrestling with pros and cons, yearning for a clear-cut answer in prayer. But I know from past experience that clarity does not come in an instant, and God’s voice doesn’t arrive in a booming manner, but rather in a still, small voice. 

And so, I will continue to pray about it. 

Social media can be a powerful tool to bring people together, yet at the same time, I have seen too often its ability to rip us apart. And that is just what the enemy wants. Division, hatred, dehumanization. You don’t have to look hard to find it, and it can come from accounts and people you least expect. 

As I read today’s Gospel and heard Jesus declare, “This generation is an evil generation” (Luke 11:29) my heart jumped to the hatred I see online, swelling like a balloon, expanding closer to the breaking point, and my shoulders clenched, waiting for the inevitable pop! 

But as the reading continued, my heart softened, and my body relaxed. Jesus condemns the sin of those gathered, urging repentance and a return to God. But at the same time, He reminds them of His presence. “There is something greater than Solomon here [. . .] There is something greater than Jonah here” (Luke 11:31-32). Solomon and Jonah did great deeds for God, but they were not God. How much more magnificence, then, can Christ bring to our world?

I don’t know what exactly God is calling me to do with my social media. What I do know is that Jesus is Lord, and He is here. And if I set my focus on that apart from the turmoil I see online, my heart will soften, and my body will relax.

Christ is present with us today. Take some time today to notice Him. Go to His Real Presence in the Blessed Sacrament. Open your Bible. Look for the imago Dei in another. Admire the beauty of creation. (And maybe consider taking some time off of social media.)