Before social media, people could only say what was in their minds in person. You had to be in the room, and people MIGHT share their political thoughts. Prior to 2004, people would generally share whatever, and there was little fear of being recorded or even some random comment being remembered. You could even say something factually wrong because it was hard to fact-check. Now, I can say something in line at Disneyland and pull up my phone to know whether it was right in milliseconds. That wasn't always possible in the past. Just look at the comment sections to see fact-checking in real time.

The beauty of social media is that people quickly share what is inside their minds. There is no friction. One post, and you get to vent. It's cheap therapy. I never understood the "shut up and dribble" thinking on one side. Why are we surprised famous people share their political thoughts? WE ALL SHARE OUR POLITICAL THOUGHTS. We all want to vent. We are either celebrating today or complaining today and are posting about it.

I love that we get to know, as church leaders, the struggles of our congregation and communities. We get to see where their hope is. You get to see what is really important to them. Pastors, scroll on social media this week to discover their fears, their idols, and what you NEED to preach and teach about in 2025. Social media is a gift that allows you to see where your people's hearts are right now.

I think social media is a gift on weeks like this.