Internet mission temptations: How not to lose Christ in the pursuit of likes

The internet space is both an opportunity and a danger. Photo: UOJ

Some 25 years ago, heated debates raged over whether the internet could be of any benefit. Today, such a question no longer arises. It is obvious that the web is not evil in its purest form. With its help, we keep in touch, assist our neighbors, spread the Gospel, teach, conduct courses and lectures, read useful blogs. The internet has long become a part of life, and the Church is no exception: livestreams of services, electronic libraries of the Holy Fathers, spiritual podcasts, educational projects – all of this has become familiar.

And precisely because of that, it is important now to remind ourselves of the other side – the dangers that virtual space carries. This is especially relevant in the days of fasting, when the Church calls us to be attentive to what seizes our hearts.

Never before have people been so bound to a single object as they are today – to their smartphone.

For many it has replaced books, newspapers, television, wallet, mail, photo albums, document archives, planner, and at times even live communication. A modern person spends much of the day staring at a screen, and this dependency betrays inner vulnerability and weakness.

Media laws vs. Gospel ethics

Even when we turn to church resources and missionary blogs, there is no guarantee that they do not conceal temptations and traps that can harm both readers and authors themselves.

We forget that the laws of the media sphere often contradict Gospel ethics.

Media activity is largely based on stirring up passions, hype, and provocations – and Orthodox content, in pursuit of an audience, submits to these rules. For example, by publishing a scandalous news item or raising a hot topic for arguments in the comments. From a media standpoint, this is a profitable way to attract attention and increase coverage through resonance. But from a Christian standpoint – it is sin, for the author has used other people’s passions for self-promotion. And we, as readers, become entangled in them, give in to emotions, take part in conflicts, and thus inflame within ourselves what ought to be subdued. That is already anti-mission.

Entertainment or the path of faith

Alongside the stirring of passions, short and entertaining content today enjoys the greatest popularity. It is particularly troubling when Orthodox authors, in search of demand, begin to trivialize spiritual themes, wrapping them in the form of a show or entertainment.

I have heard seriously from several well-known online preachers (even priests) that they deliberately produce primitive, “dumb” content – simply because it “works better” and boosts popularity. Such a device indeed serves as bait for increasing reach, but the question arises: how worthy is it of a Christian to deliberately resort to such stupefaction for the sake of views, and to recommend others to do the same? That is no mission at all.

From a priest or a Christian blogger, one expects a word that leads to God, to inner change, to serious spiritual work – not a set of jokes for the sake of likes.

Such primitivism does Orthodoxy a disservice, presenting the God-revealed truth of the Gospel as something flat, banal, even foolish. Can Christianity really become part of an entertainment show, traveling in the same stream with it?

Authorities and critical thinking

Our age is marked by the absence of universally recognized authorities: each person lives in his own information world and decides for himself whom to trust. One professor once asked students to write down the names of their favorite bloggers – and it turned out that everyone had different lists, while no one knew the bloggers mentioned by the others. Each forms his own information bubble.

The positive side is that people feel comfortable on small channels, and subscriber counts no longer confer authority nor serve as a measure of quality (thus, there is less sense in chasing numbers). Yet the negative side is that in such “bubbles” blind trust easily takes root, when a person forgets about verification, critical thinking, and spiritual discernment.

In the church internet environment, this is just as acute: subscribers begin to trust the author unconditionally, ceasing to check what is said or to measure it against the teaching of the Church.

This blind trust is not surprising: even fortune-tellers, hanging icons “for atmosphere,” understand that their authority rises in the eyes of listeners. All the more so when someone is near the church, in a cassock, or presents himself as a missionary, a priest’s wife, a choir member, or something similar. They often only reinforce this dependence, hooking the audience on their style and replacing critical thinking with blind loyalty. But if a Christian ceases to think and discern spiritually, if a missionary ties people to himself, then where in all this is the place for Christ?

Attention leaks in the streams of information

Numerous studies confirm that the internet scatters attention, destroys the habit of reading serious books, and hinders concentration on long texts – not to mention more voluminous works. Fewer and fewer people now practice slow and thoughtful reading. Long posts are rarely read, especially if even a little difficult. What spiritual benefit or mission can there be in a 15-second clip made “by the rules of the genre”?

The internet is flooded with information. Its excess drowns out knowledge. In this flood, education becomes a shield both for those who speak of Christ and for those who listen.

An educated author knows how to convey meaning clearly and precisely, and an attentive and thoughtful reader can appreciate it and avoid the traps of entertainment.

Knowledge becomes the bridge that connects mission with human hearts – not with their fleeting attention. Unfortunately, today education is often not valued or encouraged, which leads to emptiness and media glitter prevailing – in the eyes of both authors and readers.

The danger of “promotion”

Orthodox internet has absorbed many of the illnesses of the media world, but let me mention one more. Recently, attending several conferences, I noticed how popular it has become to invite well-known online preachers as speakers. In their talks, they urged everyone to follow their example, use their advice, and work hard on “promoting” their channels and pages “in order to speak of Christ.”

But what sense is there in measuring witness to God by the number of subscribers or likes? Especially since experience shows: even with these speakers boasting hundreds of thousands of followers, churches have not become fuller. Perhaps the reason is that people are not looking for yet another influencer, but are in need of a simple pastor – one known by his flock, one who is at least a little higher in prayer, in spiritual life, in his relationship with God.

To speak of Christ, no promotion or algorithms are needed. One must live in Christ – and then there will be something to say, and those to whom that word will resound.

By contrast, when the main focus becomes promotion and metrics, mission quietly yields its place to self-presentation, appeals for financial support, and eventually advertising.

Instead of a conclusion

The internet space is both an opportunity and a danger. It can assist in spiritual education, ease life, but far more often it tempts, entertains, and robs time and strength. A person carried away by virtual activity quickly loses what is essential – prayer, silence, attentive reading of the Gospel and the Fathers – the very conditions of spiritual life.

What can truly be useful online is only the turning to what is serious and edifying: the reading of patristic works, the study of Scripture, the engagement with genuinely deep texts.

As for social networks, they in their majority offer almost nothing good, but contain many dangers. It is better to do without them altogether. But if that proves impossible, then one should at least reduce their use to a minimum and not soothe oneself with thoughts like “we are reading something about faith there” or “taking part in church life.”

Everything depends on how we use these tools. But he who can renounce excessive online bustle will only gain. His life will contain more of the real: silence, prayer, leisure, simplicity, and joy.

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