Fare thee well, facebook.

Lately I've been feeling over-saturated by media. I've been really happy to keep the television off and not go on the computer as much at night. I'm hungry for a technology sabbath.

So this morning I deleted my personal facebook account. I was maintaining two accounts: a personal account and my professional account. Today I deactivated the personal account. Why am I friends with all these people that I never talk to? Why do I feel guilty un-friending them? The people I really need to talk to or keep up with are either a) on my professional account or b) in my phone so we text message each other or actually call each other. So I deleted my personal facebook account.

And it actually felt kind of liberating.

Yesterday I did something else bold. I organized my office. I emptied the closet and rearranged all my books according to subject. And it felt liberating.

I've been thinking a lot about this concept of "liberation." Liberation is a pretty big biblical theme (just look at Exodus). What does it mean for us to be liberated in our own time?

For me, liberation means trying to neutralize those things in my life that feel like weights on my shoulders. At the onset, they don't seem like big things. Is having two facebook accounts really a big thing? Is having a messy closet hidden by a door really a big thing? Not really. They are what they are. But if I can subtract and divide those things that drive me just a little bit crazy, it makes a huge difference. And really, who doesn't want to delete those things in their life that add stress?

In his letter to the Colossians, Paul says, "Let the peace that Christ gives control your thinking, because you were all called together in one body to have peace. Always be thankful." How beautiful it is to think that we were called to have peace. In a world where it seems like we're constantly seeking liberation from something -- from facebook, from financial stress, from family arguments, from questionable tv programs, from unfortunate friend drama, from the burdens of past hurts...fill in the blank -- it seems so wonderful to think that we're actually called to peace. I want peace. I want serenity. I take comfort in the fact that I can find those things in Christ and in Christ, I can do all things.

What does liberation mean for you? What are those things in your life that you might need liberation from? How can you ask Christ to help you neutralize those things?

May the peace of Christ envelop you.

Yours in Christ,
Pastor Becki