I remember the feelings of uncertainty and confusion. When my wife and I began as youth pastors in a small church, our discussions with kids were not all that difficult. We taught a simple message. We invited students to hang out with us and apply the obvious, yet powerful, truths of the Christian faith so they could experience a reprieve from the chaos they endured in their lives. We shared, prayed, and invested in students in a way that many would consider a common and traditional expression of Christian faith. Then came the shift.
With the advent of numerous social media platforms, it seems the Hawthorne effect—a noticeable modification of behavior when one senses that they are being watched—has begun influencing us far more than we realized. This dynamic shifted how the gospel has been communicated and how worship has been conducted. Though this shift has brought the benefit of an online presence that has allowed us to reach greater audiences, a core value of authenticity seems to have become a minor concern.
Everyone, in a sociological sense, was suddenly in front of a camera, and that camera effect did something that has become strangely familiar: it made everyone a performer. From grandmas to toddlers, everyone became an active entertainer as cell phones invited strangers, along with their opinions, into every family. Then, in a weird phenomenon, everyone began performing not for a watching audience alone, but for an undefined sense of validation from a greater, unknown audience. As a result, we have a generation whose fragile and deeply held beliefs are significantly swayed by the feedback of hundreds of people they may literally never meet.
When adults and communities now find validation in who they are by how viral they can become, a deeper concern emerges: we have become a people who have mastered the art of living a lie. What is the big lie moving into our thoughts and behavior?
The lie is that you can become someone. You can find pleasure, hope, and even inspirational joy in the pursuit of becoming someone everyone wants. This lie works in direct contradiction to the life Jesus offered. He proclaimed, “He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it” (Matthew 10:39; 16:25; Luke 17:33).
Now, let me be clear: social media platforms are merely megaphones shouting the same narrative that has been repeated since the ancient Mesopotamian civilization of Babel. Each of these mediums echoes the same broken promise: “Let us build ourselves a city, and a tower whose top *is* in the heavens; let us make a name for ourselves…”
The subtle and seemingly irreligious hope of making a lasting mark in life can appear innocent, but it is vain hope. There truly is no life outside of the one Jesus has planned for you. There is no tower of fame high enough, no city of wealth rich enough, and no position of power great enough that will deliver to you a lasting life of fulfillment.
Following the demise of this historic Tower of Babel in Genesis 11, there’s a surprising story that develops. Jewish tradition places Abraham’s father, Terah, in the service of Nimrod, the founder of Babel. As civilization was fragmented following the dispersion of the tower’s residents, God came to Terah’s son and made a promise to him: “I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing.” Though Abraham expressed no desire for greatness, he received what an entire humanity could not.
The story is no different today. Every voice of influence seems to offer the same old supposed secret to becoming great and making a name for yourself. But that hope is futile. It leads only to personal, moral, and social confusion. The God of Abraham is still looking for men and women who will discard their self-fueled aspirations and pursue Him in obedience and relationship.
As I write this from the city of Athens, I’m reminded that the Greeks, like so many ancient civilizations, also aspired to build a name for themselves. Their monuments and statues stand as reminders of kingdoms, philosophies, and people who once seemed destined to endure.
Yet only one Kingdom continues. From Abraham to the Greek New Testament churches, to the work of faithful disciples today, the Kingdom of God continues through every generation. Cities rise and fall. Empires flourish and disappear. But Jesus reigns over a Kingdom, a Church, that will not. As the angel pronounced when Jesus entered our world through a woman’s womb, “He will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of His kingdom there will be no end” (Luke 1:33).
Hopefully, you’re getting tired of the big lie. If you’re weary of trying to make a name for yourself, you’re in a good place today. Jesus stands today, inviting you to stop trying to make yourself great and instead lose your life in obedience to Him. His calling is for you to become part of the one Kingdom that will never end.
