So you are one of the many millions of people on twitter? Great! 

So you are one of the many Christians on twitter? Maybe we should talk. 

According to a report published by the Pew Research Center, fifteen percent of adult Internet users in the United States are on Twitter, and that number is multiplied many, many times, of course, in nations around the world.  Of these millions of twitter users, a great many are Christians –  few of whom give much serious thought to how they use the service and the effect they are having on others through it.

The writer and speaker Jon Acuff once said that “Social media’s like a brick — you can use it to build an orphanage or throw it through somebody’s car window.” That statement graphically summarizes the good and bad that can come even from Christians’ use of twitter. 

In saying this, we are not even talking about the kind of content a person tweets.  Most (though sadly not all) Christians are in the habit of tweeting positive, clean and uplifting messages that are not attacks on individuals (Ephesians 4:29-31).  It’s sometimes the behind the scenes –  but still visible – aspects of twitter use that can be problematic.

For instance, many people –  many Christians included –  seem to view twitter as a giant game of  “get followers.”  As a result, many do not choose to follow people back who follow them because they want an impressive follower/following ratio.  It’s always a bad thing if we allow our mental approach to become focused on an attitude of “get” and an unwillingness to give, and this is certainly a situation where the golden rule can be followed (Matthew 7:12).

But even more disturbing is the habit of many (and yes, many Christians) of following people back  and then,  a day or two later, dropping them.  If the person who has followed us is not tweeting objectionable material, dropping them simply to improve our own numbers is nothing short of selfishness, and we should consider how this looks to others.   If we don’t want to receive a follower’s frequent messages regarding what they had for dinner last night or whatever, twitter does have a “mute” button. If we need to we can mute followers where unfollowing is not called for.

Being a Christian on twitter is not just about numbers, though.  When we receive follows from others and don’t follow back, or follow back then drop them, we lose one of the great ways social media can be used for good by depriving the person of ever reaching out to us through Direct Messages.  In our own @tacticalbelief and @livingbelief twitter accounts we receive many DMs every week from people asking for guidance, encouragement, prayer, or just basic information about Christianity. Not following back or dropping followers unnecessarily limits engagement with others whom we might help and  denies them the opportunity to receive “an answer regarding the hope we have” (1 Peter 3:15) –  in an area of our lives where we might be most likely to be asked. 

There are many other ways that we should perhaps consider how, as Christians, we come across to others on twitter, and how we either serve them or perhaps cause them to stumble through our twitter behavior.  But basically, being a Christian on twitter can be boiled down to three simple things. 

First, we need to realize how conspicuous we are as Christians on twitter and how hypocritical it can appear to others if we label ourselves as “Christian” or quote Bible verses in our twitter bios, but are knowingly following porn or treating people selfishly in our social media practices. 

Second, we need to resist any temptation to “flame” or ridicule others by always being desirous to “tweet  others the way we would want to be tweeted.”

And, finally, we need to remember – as one preacher so aptly once put it (in a tweet): “Your words will tell others what you think. Your actions will tell them what you believe.” That is just as true on twitter – or on any other social media –  as it is in other areas of life.

Tactical Christianity recently interviewed the up-and-coming musician AlphaChild about his background and budding career in Christian rap and hip hop music.  See the interview with this talented new musician here. 

The Martian, the recent award-winning film starring Matt Damon and based on Andy Weir's best-selling near-future sci-fi novel, has been called one of the best true to science sci-fi films in decades.  If you haven’t seen the film, consider doing so (and realize this blog post may give some plot details away).

In the film, NASA astronaut/botanist Mark Watney  (Damon) is left for dead when the crew of an exploratory Mars mission has to evacuate their insecure surface structures and lift off to escape a fierce storm.  The crew reluctantly break orbit and begin the journey back to Earth while unknown to them Watney recovers and sets about the daunting task of surviving with limited food, water and oxygen.

The botanist’s efforts are successful in that he begins to raise a crop of potatoes in a controlled environment and in so doing he becomes the first person to colonize the Red Planet – the first Martian. When he is eventually able to make radio contact with Earth, the rest of the crew decide against all odds to "turn their ship around" and return to Mars for Watney.

Christian commentators have been quick to point out the similarity of the story with the Parable of the Lost Sheep, and it is not an unfair comparison as religion does appear in the book on which the film is based even though Hollywood has obviously scrubbed most of the religious references. Director Ridley Scott is known as an atheist who applies his beliefs to his films, but one surprising reference to Christianity does survive (like Watney on Mars) in the film and I’d like to look at that here.

The reviews I have read of this film agree that Watney does not ever pray in the film (although his character does pray in the book), but I disagree.  At one point in the film, in order to survive, Watney has to somehow produce water for the crop he attempts to raise. He has hydrogen and oxygen available and knows he can produce water if he can initiate the necessary chemical process through the use of fire. Unfortunately, all the materials available to him are NASA flame-proofed, but Watney eventually finds a source of help. Finding a crucifix left in the emergency evacuation by one of his crewmates, Watney carefully shaves off some pieces from the base of the wooden cross and uses them to initiate the combustion which produces the water he needs for life.

It is at this point that Watney prays. It is not a formal prayer and is one that we might easily miss, but after he takes the wood from the crucifix to enable him to survive, Watney looks at the Christ figure and says  “I figure you’re OK with this, considering my circumstances …. I’m countin’ on ya.”   Perhaps the producers left this in the movie because they thought it might seem tongue-in-cheek, but they did well. It is a prayer and it contains all the basic attributes of a successful prayer for help. First, it acknowledges God by the very act of addressing him. Next it expresses a heartfelt need – in this case, of survival itself (“considering my circumstances”) – and finally, it expresses trust in God (“I’m countin’ on ya”).

Watney’s simple prayer is ultimately answered, and the movie has a good resolution. It’s a very worthwhile film (despite some occasional unnecessary language) and one that you can ponder.    The film is done as a study in human ingenuity as the astronaut takes on the  seemingly-impossible task of returning from certain death.  But the film also, unwittingly or not, makes the point that those who find themselves (in this case) millions of miles from home and without any obvious chance of survival somehow do find it natural and even easy to pray.  Beyond that, the film is a perfect “water of life” metaphor. It is the Christ figure that provides the water of life (John 4:14) which ultimately makes Watney’s survival possible.

The 2013 American science fiction film Elysium, starring Matt Damon and Jodie Foster, creates the world of 2154 in which Earth has become ravaged and slum-like, and the rich go off-planet to live in Elysium, a space station-like perfect environment named after the blissful afterlife region of the ancient Greeks.  Separated from Earth, Elysium is a paradise of pleasures and, through scientific advances, its wealthy inhabitants are healed of all sickness and disease and are essentially able to live forever.

It’s sad that for many who do not understand Christianity, the popular Christian idea of going to heaven is very much like the fictional Elysium – a place or time where the privileged go and live blissfully while everyone else gets to live and die in misery.  An unfortunate corollary of this understanding is the feeling some have that Christians are mainly in it “for the perks” –  specifically the desire for eternal life.

Now the Bible does make it clear that Christian life leads to eventual blissful eternity, but even we ourselves can lose sight of the bigger picture if our focus is on being saved and living forever – we can come across to those who do not understand as “Elysium types.” The apostle Paul left us a clear summary of what our understanding should be in this regard.  Notice what he told his assistant, Titus, about our life in Christ: “Remind the people … he saved us … so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life” (Titus 3:3-7). 

So eternal life certainly is the Christian’s hope –  but Paul continues by showing it doesn’t stop there:   “… And I want you to stress these things, so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good” (Titus 3: 8).  Paul tells us here that we who trust in an outcome of life that is even better than any "Elysium" need to devote ourselves to doing good – and “doing good” means to others, not to ourselves.  Paul continues to stress this fact a few verses later:  “Our people must learn to devote themselves to doing what is good, in order to provide for urgent needs and not live unproductive lives” (Titus 3:14). In fact, the New International Version of the Bible titles the whole chapter of Titus 3  “Saved in order to Do Good” 

It’s a basic truth found throughout the Bible. We see it everywhere and perhaps nowhere better summarized than in the Book of Psalms: “Turn away from evil and do good; so shall you dwell forever” (Psalm 37:27 ESV).  We are called to much more than a life that turns from sin – we are called to doing good – and that’s not just the prologue, but also the purpose in this life and the next. Christianity does offer a wonderful afterlife; but we should be clear in our own minds, and in sharing the truth, that true religion involves not just “getting saved,” but also doing good wherever we can. “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world” (James 1:27).  True religion is turning from sin and actively doing good. Real religion isn't just an entrance requirement for Elysium – it goes far beyond that.

* For more on this subject, see also the blog post “Why Were You Called?” here on our sister site, LivingWithFaith.org.

Opinions are already swirling around Darren Aronofsky’s  upcoming movie “Noah,” starring Russell Crowe and due for release in the United States on March 28.  The United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Qatar have already announced they will ban the movie in their countries; Kuwait, Egypt and Jordan are also expected to ban the film.  Several Christian individuals have spoken out against it, though some have apparently not yet seen it. Other Christians who have seen early releases feel that the film is a very positive attempt to portray the biblical story of the Flood.

Despite the controversy, the movie is drawing many positive early reviews.  Access Hollywoood describes it as "The First Must-See Blockbuster of the Year" and The Washington Post states, “If you liked ‘Braveheart,’ ‘Gladiator,’ ‘Star Wars,’ ‘The Lord of the Rings,’ ‘Indiana Jones’ or ‘Titanic,’ you will like ‘Noah.’ If you liked two or more of the above, you will love ‘Noah.’ Your enjoyment increases exponentially with each movie checked above …”

Although I have only seen the movie trailer, it certainly looks like a well-made film and one which seems (judging only by the trailer) to have a respectful attitude toward its subject. The Washington Post review quoted above says, “It Glorifies Virtue In The Highest,” but how biblically accurate it is remains to be seen.  Actually, while the Bible carefully describes the Ark and certain details of the Flood story, it gives few details regarding the background situation, so some artistic or cinematographic license is probably unavoidable in making a movie such as this.

At this point we have only another ten days to wait to get more first-hand reports on the movie, but we can already think about whether we wish to see it, what our standards will be in judging it, and how we might use it in conversations with others.  We may have mixed feelings or assessments of the movie, but either way, it looks as though theatres will be deluged by moviegoers wanting to see "Noah" when the doors open on March 28.  It is certainly a film that will be a natural topic of conversation for the coming weeks. You can see the trailer for the movie here.

The recent hit movie Gravity starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney does an excellent job of showing the feeling of near-helplessness the orbiting astronauts experience when they lose radio communication with their Houston base.  Cut off from their source of hope, the astronauts send transmissions “in the dark” – not knowing whether they are being heard or not. 

At one time or another all Christians have experienced the feeling of unanswered prayer and the suspicion that they are not being heard.  Fortunately for us, the Bible gives some very clear instruction on why prayer is sometimes not answered – and what we can do about it.

This week’s new article “When Prayer is Unanswered”  looks directly at the question of why our prayers sometimes seem to be unheard.  The good news is that even if we feel cut off  and we just don’t seem to be “getting through”, there are things we can do to change that - we don’t need to stay “in the dark”.