On #usguys: a theological reflection

Recently, I joined a group called #usguys on Twitter. I must admit I just thought it was a random hashtag when I first saw it. Stephen Caggiano (@StephenCaggiano) showed up on my list of followers and so I followed him back. While I was looking at his Twitter profile, it said things like #God, #family, and other positive things. So far, so good. At the end of his profile, it said #usguys. Curious, I went on Twitter search and wrote #usguys. A stream of tweets flooded my timeline and I could make no sense out of it. I decided to ask him about it and used the hashtag #usguys. That was the beginning of my foray into the world of online community. 


Suddenly, people I didn't know began to answer my question. These were a group of people who were friendly, welcoming, and were eager to help me with any question I may have. While it is a place that is primarily populated with Social Media experts and mavens, it is more than that. It is a place where people can feel welcomed into a community. I thought that this place would be a place where experts talk about their various fields of expertise and high-five each other at how smart they are while laughing at the rest of the world who just didn't get what Social Media was all about. They were not. They were people who were passionate about people. Yes, we do get into Tweetdeck vs HootSuite debates from time to time, but we are just as likely to ask how each other's days went and what movie we should watch (Green Lantern FTW!) 


As I participated and interacted with various people, I was truly reminded how I have often felt that the welcoming atmosphere and place of belonging that I wanted from the Church were often found in other places. I felt this in North Africa having dinner with a friend of mine. As we were eating, he said, "now we are brothers." I asked him to explain further. He said that because we were eating the same food, that food turns into blood, and that blood is now shared between us. And I thought to myself, what a great picture of community. I felt this with #usguys as I see them help, love and appreciate one another and show that same care to any wanderer into the #usguys domain. At one point, I even tweeted that I wished churches were more like #usguys: people who are non-judgmental, willing to listen, and made you feel like that you mattered to someone.


I've heard it often said that diversity is something to be welcomed and I definitely agree. It was in engaging with people from diverse backgrounds from #usguys, however, that I found the practical outworking of that statement. I often wondered why they would #ringthetribalbell for me when I wasn't a Social Media expert like they were. And yet, I am not entirely surprised that they did. This was an online community that found that its greatest strength lies in establishing deep and meaningful relationships with people (which is really the essence of Social Media!) With each individual's contribution, the group becomes stronger because of it. Somehow, the line between individual and group becomes blurred, fuzzy and bleed into the abstract, and yet so tangible, concept of community. And that is what is so beautiful about it: the ability to maintain personal convictions but also participating in something greater than yourself. And I do catch myself thinking, isn't this what the Church was called to do? 


I'm truly thankful for having met some truly wonderful people. It's been often said that if you want to be smarter, you need to surround yourself with smart people and that's what I've been doing. Yet, these are not smart people who are merely content with providing deep content or a plethora of information. These are people who are committed to deep relationships. Instead of "Go Big or Go Home", they decided to "Go Deep." Thanks #usguys. You have definitely given me much to think about.