“Look carefully then how you walk”: Reflection on Social Media and Ephesians 5

But immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is fitting among saints. Let there be no filthiness, nor silly talk, nor levity, which are not fitting; but instead let there be thanksgiving. … Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. For it is a shame even to speak of the things that they do in secret; but when anything is exposed by the light it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it is said,

“Awake, O sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ shall give you light.”

Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of the time, because the days are evil.
Ephesians 5:3-4, 11-16

On occasion, I will meditate on the text of Ephesians 4-6 (or parts of it) as a general examination of conscience. The first half of Ephesians 5, in particular, is fascinating to me. Recently, these verses have come to my mind as I reflected on something that happened to me.

What happened was this. While on social media, I stumbled upon a short humorous video, like those my wife and I like to share with one another from time-to-time. It started out all right, and I smiled as I anticipated that it would have a good punchline.

Then the punchline came. And I laughed, but felt a tinge of guilt. Man, it was funny though. So I wondered, should I share it with my wife?

It didn’t involve mentioning anything immoral per se. It spoke of the marital act between spouses, in fact. But it spoke openly and with vulgar language about something private and sacred, which should be treated with reverence.

But, is it really that bad to repeat it to my wife? We’ll get a laugh out of it and that would be the end of it. Nobody gets hurt, right? … And goodness gracious — the video was hilarious! I can’t let it just go unshared with anybody? Can I?

But then again, on the other hand, can’t I just let it go unshared? And can’t I, in fact, take steps to keep stuff like that out of my feed? Can’t I have the courage to protect myself and my wife from the indignity of lapsing into “filthiness,” “silly talk” and “levity”? Shouldn’t we cultivate purity of heart, instead?

The language concerning the marital act that was used in the video I saw was “immoral” and “impure” and “covetous.” Concerning these things, St. Paul in Ephesians 5 says not even to speak of them, but at the same time, to “expose them.”

I think that this means that we are to expose such things not by speaking about them, for even that is in some way taking part in them, and shameful. But expose them to the light that Christ gives by letting that light shine in our hearts and transform them in His image: pure, moral, and loving.

We are called to a high calling, as Christians and as evangelists. We are to have nothing to do with impurity, except insofar as you are making them subject to the light and power of Christ. And when we do so for ourselves, we become better suited to be instruments of God for others. That they, too, might let the light and power of Christ shine upon them.

Let us all examine ourselves and see whether we are walking in the purity of heart that the Lord requires of us. We may think that such matters are small — and they seem to be sins venial in nature. But their effects, in the long run, are great; in how they prevent us from growing into more fruitful instruments of the Lord. Let us awake from sleep and walk with wisdom – in using social media, and in all areas of life. For the days, indeed, are evil.