“Face-what?” A few years ago, my brother e-mailed me about Facebook. I’d never heard of it, but he said it started as a way for college students to connect—that it was a bit like MySpace, but simpler. He’d just signed up, and he wanted me to as well.
I’m a Christian Science practitioner, and getting the word out about the fact that Christian Science can bring healing and relief to people is a top priority for me. However, Facebook was very new then, and I wasn’t sure how I’d use it, if I’d have time for it, or if it would be of any value as a way to reach those seeking spiritual solutions. I’ve learned through my study of Christian Science that my motives for any action and choice are fundamentally
important. If my motives are selfish or self-centered, I’ll have a harder time being successful. Love, kindness, helpfulness, and so on, must fill my motives. Then I’ll be more in tune with God and my endeavors will be more likely to succeed.
So, what would motivate me to be on Facebook? First, it was love for my brother and a desire to be supportive, but it quickly grew to be much more than that. When I signed up, I began to see that I could share inspirational messages with everyone in my network. I could link to Christian Science articles, blogs, and videos, and everyone I knew on Facebook would be able to see them, too. I even found that the more I shared in this way, the more people would privately ask me for help through Christian Science treatment. On Facebook, anyone in my network can send me a private e-mail message. I found that these private messages for metaphysical support came more frequently the longer I was participating in Facebook. My motivation for posting became to live more fully the spirit of Christ Jesus’ command, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15).
