The Good Samaritan in the Digital World

Alessandro Adorante

Friday, June 30, 2023

Photo from iStock

For Gen Zers like me (born between 1995 - 2010), the rise of social media was a defining moment of our formative years. I experienced a drastic technological shift in my daily life: from working with pen and paper to compact laptops, from corded phones to versatile smartphones, and even from waiting for the radio weather update every morning to verbally asking my virtual assistant, Alexa, to do it for me within seconds.

Now that we have access to more smart devices, social media has allowed everyone instant global communication with almost anyone. Platforms such as Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Snapchat are evolving and shaping how we interact and obtain our information. Christians need inspiration and guidance on how we should engage with social media and how we should share fruitful and truthful information and communication.

The Story

The Vatican’s most recent pastoral reflection from the Dicastery for Communication, Towards Full Presence, comments on social media engagement. It uses the Good Samaritan parable to prompt the audience to answer the question, “Who is my neighbour?” (Mark 6:7) and how we can act on that principally important concept in the digital culture.

Jesus tells the story of a traveler on the road to Jericho who is stripped and beaten and left for dead. The Priest and the Levite, two prominent religious figures regarded as holy individuals, ignore the traveler on the side of the road. However, the Samaritan, thought to be an enemy of the traveler, helps him, bandages his wounds, and brings him to Jericho, where he is left with an innkeeper to be nursed back to health. Jesus uses this story to clearly identify the importance of knowing and acting on the Great Commandment; to love God and love our neighbour. If being a Christian is truly “The Way,” we are only truly Christian, when we live our lives as such.

The Choice

Social media is like the road to Jericho, where we see the wounded traveler – our brothers and sisters, friends, family and strangers – in need of someone who is attentive and open to listening to their story (#49). Interactions on social media can often feel impersonal, distant, addictive and unfulfilling. Often, Christians who use these platforms can claim to be religious, yet not engage in the action of the Samaritan, even sometimes contradicting the call to love our neighbour (#49, 50). This action can bring about the evident division we see in our society today.

Nevertheless, if we take to heart the words of Jesus, we recognize that only true community comes from a dialogue that inspires unity. Social media users need to recognize that being a Christian is to love others before the self, setting aside personal ambitions and egotism to promote the common good through digital means. Trust me, I understand how an edgy quip in the youtube comments or a convicted political opinion on Twitter can get a good response and even build community. Yet, the information we engage with rarely contains the full context and depth needed for seeking the truth of the full story (#30). By recognizing our universal need for dialogue, we can continue the process of healing the division, hurt and animosity that exists between so many of us online, to allow a path forward for greater compassion and unity (#52).

The good news is that there are many ways we can be like the Good Samaritan in the online world. Here are some ways we can better love our neighbours online:

How we say something is just as important as what we say

The Greek-Latin origins of the word “disciple” means something more like “learner” or “student” as well as “follower.” This means that disciples are those who follow and learn from the life of Jesus. By following the way of Jesus, we can better our “how” to better communicate our “what” in whatever message we share through our posts, comments and content. Let’s be “imitators of Jesus,” (1 Corinthians 4:16-17) and love as he loves while we are online. (Edward Sri, Into His LIkeness, p 24).

Communicate Truth

Become attentive and take time to participate in intentional listening. In the hustle and bustle of our crazy lives, we need to take more effort to engage in silence to think slowly, deeply and purposefully in discerning the truth of the subject matter. (#34) Often, we get distracted by constant connection with others and get robbed of silence, a is fundamental part of listening and caring for others. Through intentional listening, we undergo an “act of humility… as we acknowledge truth, wisdom and value beyond our own limited perspective.” (#36)

Persuasive Messages belong to a Community

“Truth is revealed in Communion.” (#66, quoting Pope Francis’ 2019 World Communication Day Message) When we set aside our agendas and empower others to collaborate and act as one people, we come to appreciate each other's God-given-gifts better. Engage in projects that promote human dignity and development, aim to reduce digital inequality, promote digital access to information and literacy, promote stewardship and crowdfunding efforts to support the poor and marginalized. (#76) Let us be “quick to hear, slow to speak [and] slow to anger” (James 1:19) to build a better community in a fragmented world.

Tell a Good Story

Often a message can be better conveyed with a compelling story. Dig into your childhood creativity and let the imagination of the listeners speak to them, just as Jesus did with the Parable of the Good Samaritan. After all, telling a counter-narrative can be more effective when responding to a hateful comment or tense situation. (#69)

We have a choice of how we use our media to journey with people who, like the traveler, need to walk the road to the inn in Jericho to be healed. This choice provides the opportunity to not only “bear the pain of other people’s troubles,” (#25) but help each other open up to the Holy Spirit working among us. Frequently, we can get trapped scrolling through our feeds in an endless loop of reactions and unverifiable sources. However, if we become aware of how social media can be a fruitful means of quick and accessible community, then we can be advocates for healthy digital environments as we work towards a more equitable and inclusive world.