What do you think would happen if a black man became an undercover spy in the alt-right?
Could it work? What would that even look like? How would a black man have to dress to “fit in” as a white supremacist?
In a recent TEDxTalk, Theo E.J. Wilson shared how he did just that…via Facebook.
In this talk, he shared how he was not only a survivor of police brutality during the height of Black Lives Matter, but also how he woke up one day to more racial slurs, internet trolls, and white supremacists than he had ever experienced before. These people treated him like he wasn’t even human. To the alt-right, he was “an idea, an object, a caricature.”
After reflecting upon this experience, Wilson shared on the TED stage,
I also began to notice that a few of my trolls actually had brains, which made me even more curious and what to understand them even further. And although these supposed morons engaged in what appeared to be original thought, I said to myself, “Um, these guys are highly misinformed, at least according to my knowledge.” Where are these guys getting these arguments from? Like, was there some kind of alternative universe with alternative facts?
Was history and gravity optional over there? I don’t know. But I needed to know. Like, I wanted to know. And as it turns out, I had no idea about digital echo chambers. That same target marketing algorithm that feeds you more of the products you like to buy also feeds you more of the news that you like to hear. I had been living in an online universe that just reflected my worldview back to me. So my timeline was pretty liberal. I had no Breitbart or Infowars or Fox News. No, no, I was all MSNBC and The Daily Show, CNN and theGrio, right? Well, these trolls were hopping the dimensional doorway and I needed to figure out how.
After this realization, Wilson decided to setup a profile on Facebook as a white supremacist in the alt-right, in order to personally experience the echo chamber that these trolls lived in. In the online world, he switched identities and became Lucius25—the white supremacist lurker. He friended white supremacists, he liked American Renaissance and the National Vanguard Alliance, and he began talking bad about Black Lives Matter and Al Sharpton.
Guess what happened? He entered into another reality—the echo chamber of the alt-right where all he began to see was other viewpoints, ads, and comments that perpetuated this worldview.
Isn’t that scary?
Just think about the recent American election. Why was the media so surprised that Trump won? Especially when they were convinced that Clinton had it in the bag?
Two words: Echo Chambers.
Marketing, media, and technology are conditioning us for highly specified, focused, and personalized messages that we’re more likely to comment on, like, and share.
As a result, we’ve learnt that the more general something is, the less likely it is going to relate to me. So we just skip over it and let it go in one ear and out the other. In other words, if it’s for all, it’s not necessarily for y’all.
So what does it look like to leverage these cultural shifts in your church? And for the way that you disciple?
In my last article, Systemic Issues in Discipleship, I shared how every church must develop disciples that are self-feeders, rather than consumers. Unfortunately, when church’s make discipleship all about attending events, classes, and studies, they’re actually subtly celebrating and promoting a consumeristic approach to faith.
Just think about all the words you use to try to get people to attend these events, classes, and studies:
Come to my study. Register for this event. Look at what you’ll learn and take away. Look at how this will benefit you. It’ll be worth your time. It’s a good investment.
Do you see how the words that we use can subtly promote a consumeristic approach to faith? After all, it’s like we say on our New Churches Q&A Podcast, “words build worlds.”
So is the solution to throw the baby out with the bath water? And to get rid of all events, classes, and studies in your church?
No. Not at all.
The solution is to see these events, classes, and studies as pit stops, rather than as the destination.
These are first steps or next steps, that ultimately get you to the ongoing steps of growing as a disciple, as I articulate in my book, No Silver Bullets: Five Small Shifts that will Transform Your Ministry.
The distinction between these three steps is key and that’s why I started this article talking about echo chambers and targeted marketing.
Here’s how to use this.
The next time you’re introducing an event, class, or study, you have to articulate who this event, class, or study is for. While you may want everyone to attend or join, you know that this is not realistic and it’s actually going to weaken your messaging. So who is going to benefit most from this event, class, or study?
Specifically call them out.
So from the stage, in your bulletin, and when you talk to people in the hallway, on Facebook, or via text, say something like this,
If you’re a newcomer here, or you’re exploring faith for the first time, then I want to specifically invite you to take your first step by joining our Alpha class. Alpha is…
Or let’s say, you’re wanting to announce an evangelism seminar that you’re hosting on a Wednesday night. You want all of your leaders, volunteers, and members to attend, but you don’t want to disrupt or take them out of their group. So consider announcing it like this,
This one-night evangelism seminar is not intended to be your community or an ongoing place to get plugged in. In fact, if you’re in a small group, I want to encourage you to come together and learn with one another! If you’re not in a group, then perhaps this is a way for you to meet others and take your next step in your relationship with God.
In both instances, do you see how you’re communicating that both Alpha and the evangelism seminar are not the destination point for discipleship? But how they’re pit stops?
We’re just scratching the surface here, but I wanted to give you an idea of how important wording and messaging is when communicating opportunities for discipleship and your discipleship pathway to your church.
If you want to dig deeper into these three steps and understand how to implement a discipleship pathway in your church, then I want to strongly encourage you to pick up a copy of my latest book, No Silver Bullets: Five Small Shifts that will Transform Your Ministry.
You won’t regret it.