Beyond the algorithm: Faithfulness in a 'viral' age

My son does social media for his part-time job. Part of the task is creating posts for the business's social media account.

The hope behind so much online activity is shared by many: that one day a post will "go viral", meaning that a post catches the algorithm, the numbers rise, strangers pass it to other strangers, then suddenly, thousands of people are paying attention (and buying stuff!).

I understand the attraction of this for Christians because we want people to hear about Jesus. We want the gospel to travel beyond our walls. If a 60-second video reaches somebody who would never enter a church building, we should be glad. Paul used Roman roads. We have Instagram. Still, roads shape journeys, and the media shapes the message.