Go for a Better “Jolt”

Have you ever had that experience when an issue continues to be drawn to your attention. This often happens to me and occurred again this past week.

Today while listening to the radio, I heard a news story about a research study on social media algorithms, polarizations, and partisanship. Researchers conducted experiments altering algorithms on Facebook for thousands of users for three months before and after the 2020 election. They discovered changing the algorithms didn’t alter people’s political beliefs. META says this means social media is not to blame for our polarized culture. However, the researchers point out that the changes were only made for three months. Further, the researchers discovered the algorithms have a lot of influence over what people see on Facebook and their behavior. Algorithms funnel conservatives and liberals into separate ideological bubbles on the platform. There was little overlap between the news conservatives see and interact with and the news liberals see and interact with.

This was the fourth time in less than a week I encountered this issue. The 3rd time was Monday evening when I took Wendell and Henry to a Phillies game. During the game I was checking Facebook and Fantasy Baseball scores and Wendell said to me, “How many times Dad do I need to tell you to put that phone away and watch the game.” From the mouths of babes.

The second time was Sunday morning. After our Coffee and Conversation gathering, I remarked to someone that our conversation was exceptional, in that we had a variety of perspectives. We talked about how there are different silos for people depending on their political persuasion.

The first time I engaged this theme was Saturday. Janet and I attended a concert and I heard a new song, “Jolt” from my favorite singer/songwriter, David Wilcox. In a YouTube video he introduces the song by describing his habit of getting up in the morning, turning on his phone and looking at the news. He wants to break this habit. He says, “it’s sort of like having an espresso, except instead of caffeine, it’s anger. It doesn’t do me any good. Doesn’t do my family any good. Or my neighbors or community or the real issues any good. It just makes me angry. It’s not a good idea.” So he wrote a song to make fun of this thing that he doesn’t want to do anymore. Here are the lyrics to the first verse:

I like a triple shot of morning terror. Good for pumping up my heart rate. The new conspiracies are very scary. It’s propaganda, but it works great. Pouring over with the horror story under the hopper till my head’s full. Believe the evil ones are coming for me. Makes me edgy like a red bull.

In the chorus, Wilcox sings of going for the jolt, the paranoia, and the red pill. In the 2nd verse he mentions falling victim to an algorithm and disappearing into a wormhole prison. In the bridge he sings: “Cause it’s hard for me to feel alive. Unless my fear is in overdrive.” So he goes for the jolt.

Throughout his concert, Wilcox returned to the themes of fear and also faith. His songs and the other connected moments of this week reminded me of Jesus’ words to his disciples, in particular his imperatives. Did you know the most common command Jesus gave was not to “Love God”? It wasn’t to “Love your neighbor.” Rather it was some version of “Do not be afraid.” Whether it was “Do not be afraid” or “Take Heart” or “Have courage.” This command is spoken by Jesus more than any other. Here are just a few of those scripture references: Matthew 6:25, 9:2, 10:31, Luke 12:32, John 14:1.

Jesus doesn’t want us to live in a state of fear. And yet so often I find the algorithm and bubbles we live in pull us in the direction of fear. Whether on the right or the left, both sides “believe the evil ones are coming for me.” Such fear makes us edgy. It makes us defensive. It builds up barriers to connecting with one another. The beauty of our congregation is when we practice the spiritual discipline of listening, truly listening, by which I mean listening to understand and not to respond, we can connect with diverse perspectives.

To help us prepare for that work of listening perhaps the next time we wake up in the morning, instead of going for the jolt of the daily news, how about we reach instead for the Good News.

“Do not be afraid.”

Pastor David