Franciscan Traffic Light

Once again, I have been helped by the insight of my friend, Dan Horan, who is a Franciscan brother, ordained Catholic priest and professor of theology.  I appreciate Dan at many levels.  He is an outgoing, engaging and interesting guy.  I am sure he was that before he became a Franciscan, was ordained or studied theology.  Another thing I appreciate is the fact that he is quite a bit younger than I am.  I am lucky I have many younger friends.  Still teaching in a college setting aids that process.  But most of my younger friends don’t have the background and experience Dan has.  One way this experience comes out for Dan is his ease in using social media.  

He is active on Twitter, podcasts, and the like.  Because he is so able, he has a wide following of folks.  He is sharp, insightful and articulate.  When he speaks, people listen.  Of course, there is a huge Catholic audience.  But it is more than that.  Intriguingly, he is like so many of his peers and, yet he is so different.  He is a runner, knows sports, is a journalist---and a Franciscan priest!  Go figure!  I can imagine an atheist saying, “If he has so much going for himself, why is he wasting it on such useless stuff?”  If you are an atheist, that question makes sense.  But it is senseless for someone with Dan’s experience of having God involved in his life.

With this background I read a recent essay of his which referred to the Franciscan traffic light.  I had no idea what he was describing until I read the subtitle: “Franciscan spiritual wisdom to navigate the ‘digital continent.’”  Dan was diving into the world of social media.  Since I also dabble in that, I wanted to know what he was thinking.  Dan was addressing the issues of freedom, appropriateness of participation and implications of spiritual people as they use social media.  Dan states clearly his interest: “One such question that has been on my mind is how should Christians engage with the internet generally and social media platforms specifically?”

This is where Dan turns to his own spiritual tradition, which is labeled the Franciscan traffic light.  Dan takes the first step when he posits, “The green light refers to the belief that the Franciscan tradition, with its emphasis on itinerancy, mission and meeting people wherever they are, naturally encourages Christians to go beyond the traditional confines and comforts of social engagement.”  This is helpful.  It addresses an important question for any spiritual person about how we might share our faith without being obnoxious.  In effect, Dan is telling us it is ok to experiment.  

The value of what Dan knows comes to light when he is able to quote the former Pope Benedict XVI in a 2009 speech to young people.  The Pope told a gathering of folks focused on communication, “I ask you to introduce into the culture of this new environment of communications and information technology the values on which you have built your lives.”  Appropriately, Dan takes this as license and encouragement to take the good news of our lives into those places of human interchange.  In other words, you have the green light: go on to Twitter and all the rest.  Dan puts it this way, “To this end, the Franciscan spirit of meeting people where they are — from the rural countryside to the city center — applies to the internet insofar as we recognize that this ‘digital continent’ is where millions of women and men spend a large portion of their lives”

But traffic lights also have two other colors, as we know.  All of us who drive know the caution light means to be careful as we consider proceeding.  The same applies to the digital continent.  Dan’s counsel is wise.  He observes, “The takeaway here is cautionary in that the Franciscan tradition encourages us to be reflective and discerning in the way we engage with one another.”  Be reflective and discerning.  Be careful; don’t post things that can be harmful and that you later might regret.  It makes me think of the oath my physician daughter took: “do no harm!”  Occasionally, I should have remembered that oath!

I was interested in where Dan took us with the red light.  He comments, “Finally, the red light that the Franciscan tradition offers us has to do with remembering the importance and goodness of our creaturely embodiment.”  So far, this might not seem clear.  But clarity is revealed when he cites a recent research study that says about one-third of us are “almost constantly online.”  That’s probably not what God wanted or intends now for us.  We were not created to tweet!

We are not alive to waste our time or talent.  We are not here to bash people, hate and spread violence.  I appreciate Dan’s focus on the sacramental approach to life.  He cautions, “…we can easily lose sight of the sacramental nature of human existence.”  Used wrongly, we can change the sacred into the profane.  Our lives and action can become damnable.

So go ahead, engage our contemporary world and make it better.  But pay attention to the traffic light.

https://www.ncronline.org/news/spirituality/faith-seeking-understanding/franciscan-spiritual-wisdom-navigate-digital-continent