Saintly Wisdom Guiding Social Media Interactions

Saint Isidore Patron Saint of the Internet

Having been recently updating this blog with various social media links et cetera, I was thinking about how we tend to interact with one another these days in social media and other digital communications.

Just wanted to pass along some saintly wisdom we could look to that could help govern our email and social media communications on the internet. These sage sayings might be useful guides for us all as we attempt to communicate in this sterile, impersonal, modern age of cyber space in a respectful manner.

All too often it’s easy to forget that there’s a person on the other end of the communication and we lapse into unkind practices. I find it very appropriate that we look to ages past and saints long gone to their heavenly reward to aid our efforts.

 Our guiding rule as we type our emails, posts, and various other social media interactions should always be:

“Let the tongue have it’s rein firmly in the heart.” –St. Columbanus

 A good thing to remember when companioning our brothers and sisters:

“Oppression is not only evil, it is blasphemous because it makes a child of God doubt that s/he is a child of God.” –Archbishop Desmond Tutu

A good thing to practice with our brothers and sisters during disagreement:

“He [the monk] should not speak evil of, or harshly reproach, another, nor should he put anyone to the blush. Never should he violently rebuke anyone or carry on a conversation with a boorish person, and his speech at all times should be noted for its lack of boastfulness.” –Monastic rule of St. Ailbe

 When we take ourselves too seriously remember:

“Pious humbug is an invention of the devil.” –St. Comgal

When you’re feeling a little full of yourself and tempted to speak down to a companion think on this:

“Do not ever think yourselves better than the rest of your companions who share the same faith.” –St. Cuthbert

When someone new comes to the list seeking fellowship keep in mind:

“Do not despise those faithful who come to you seeking hospitality. Receive them, put them up, and set them on their way with kindness, treating them as one of yourselves.” –St. Cuthbert

In the haste of irritation be mindful of your free will and your choice of posts:

“The freedom to choose makes us like God: if we choose evil, that freedom becomes a curse;if we choose good, it becomes our greatest blessing.” –Pelagius

And when you interact try your best to see Christ present in the other person:

“See in each herb and small animal, every bird and beast, and in each man and woman, the eternal Word of God.” –St. Ninian