The phenomenon of Internet users, authentic opinion leaders, should make us review what type of communication is being done by ecclesial institutions and how to advance an experiential and authentic presentation of the Gospel. As explained in the iJornada, men and women of the 21st century look for testimonies that move them, experiences that impact them because they touch their hearts, useful resources for a fuller life... And all of this is in our hands.

A mother of a large family takes notes on her iPad alongside a priest who checks the timeline of his Twitter account; Next to him, a daughter of Charity points to the screen of her laptop at a young man with glasses who nods interestedly. These are just some of the scenes that abounded on Saturday, April 9, during the celebration in Madrid of the iJornada, the annual event of iMisión, the evangelization platform on social networks founded by the religious Xiskya Valladares and Daniel Pajuelo. Among the attendees were those responsible for communication and social networks from dioceses, religious congregations and ecclesial realities from all over Spain.

Fortunately, we are beginning to be aware that, as the presentation by Gustavo Entrala –creator of the Pope's Twitter account– pointed out, to communicate the Gospel on the Internet “good will is not enough.” You need to know the environment and train to engage with what people are looking for. Because, he stated, "communication is not what I say, but what people understand."

It is important to move from vertical communication (increasingly rejected, especially by young people, as confirmed by traditional media audience data) to horizontal communication, based on dialogue and the offer of Gospel values ​​on an equal basis and from concrete experience. The phenomenon of Internet users, authentic opinion leaders, idols of the masses, whose hook consists precisely in naturalness, should make us review what type of communication is being done by ecclesial institutions and how to advance in an experiential and authentic presentation of the Gospel.

As explained in the iJornada, men and women of the 21st century look for testimonies that move them, experiences that impact them because they touch their hearts, useful resources for a fuller life... And all of this is in our hands from the moment we "go from preaching an idea or an institution to preaching a person: Jesus Christ."

January 26, 2022

Source: Article published in Alfa y Omega, a Catholic information weekly. Click here to read more.