So, this week, given the historic nature of the first Pope to ever tweet, the thought hit me like a ton of bricks…
What Would Jesus Tweet?
Pope Benedict XVI sent out his first personal tweet to more than 1 million followers on Twitter yesterday. It read: “Dear friends, I am pleased to get in touch with you through Twitter. Thank you for your generous response. I bless all of you from my heart.”
Spreading the Gospel and love of Jesus Christ in tweets of 140 characters or less using today’s most powerful social media and blogging engine is a powerful tool at Pope Benedict’s disposal. Movie stars, rock starts and sports giants have thousands and sometimes millions of followers. A medium of communication used overwhelming by young people, it’s no surprise music icons Lady Gaga and Justin Beiber have the most followers of anyone, at 32 and 31 million, respectively.
The response to the Pope’s tweet was overwhelming positive. Evangelization at its finest – in less than 140 characters, no less!
After Pope Benedict’s historic tweet yesterday – his “handle” is @Pontifex, which in Latin means “bridge builder” – I couldn’t help thinking what Jesus would tweet today if he had the power of this technology at his fingertips? Known for his parables and stories, what would Jesus tweet to his followers – Catholic, Protestant and non-Christian – if he had just 140 characters available?
I figured I take a crack at it, just for grins. So, here goes:
“Remember, Advent is a time of preparation and Christmas is a time of love. Are your hearts ready for me?”
“I am here for you always, follow me in prayer (and on Twitter, too!).”
“Love one another as I have loved you. Is that so hard to do? Forgive if you need to.”
“Have courage to learn and speak truth. Yes, it does matter and yes, I am watching.”
“Yes, I am real. Yes, I am the Lord of all. Yes, you can trust in me.”
“Be rich in spirit, not of things of this world.”
And, finally…
“Can you help me get to 33 million followers so I can pass Lady Gaga?”
Peace to you all, brothers and sisters and blessings to you for a spiritual renewal during Advent as we prepare to celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior at Christmas.