Recently, Porchlight posted the last (planned) social media content for the foreseeable future. Since you’ll hear and see less from us there, we wanted to explain ourselves a bit, and invite you into some better ways to connect with Porchlight.
First off, we recognize some productive uses for social media platforms. Lots of the artists we work to support have robust social media presences. Since most all of us use these various platforms, we probably don’t have to argue too much for their potential benefit.
Nonetheless, we’ve decided that, for our organization and work, social media conflicts almost centrally with our mission at Porchlight. I’d like to explain why.
Practically speaking, we’ve heard from some hosts that our Instagram posts actually discouraged them from offering to host. Our curation of wonderful images of house shows set an unspoken standard for these events that felt daunting to new hosts. Though we love beautiful shots of magical evenings, we all know that one angle of a space doesn’t capture the actual, oftentimes less-perfect, reality of experience – even for a house show.
By trying to inspire folks to host beautiful events, we actually discouraged many hosts from trying at all, for fear of not living up to an “Instagram” standard. Maybe this rings true for social media in other ways—its promise to bring us together has seemed to often drive us apart.
As of first priority, we aim with Porchlight to encourage and facilitate hospitality, to return it to its place of essential importance among Christians. But how do you obey this biblical call toward hospitality in a digital world? Perhaps people can be kind and even welcoming online, but hospitality, on the other hand, seems to require something more tangible. Hospitality orients itself around the care of bodies, and because of this, you simply cannot fully practice it virtually. Hospitality includes the use (and curation) of space shared with others. And this sharing often comes with the rawness of reality – “please jiggle the toilet handle” and all.
Social media interactions operate in the opposite way from this bodily invitation. Social media encourages spectating from an attractive distance, without participation – people mostly talking about themselves, at each other.
Ultimately, we believe humans are embodied. We don’t think God meant for us to compress our social habits into “media” and “content,” and we don’t believe friendships will thrive if they exist only or primarily online. Though social media spaces have their limited uses, we will continue to press into the oddly counter-cultural work of embodied experiences.
With that said, we are retiring from active posting on our Porchlight platforms while we focus on the work we deeply believe in: bringing people together in the context of hospitality + art, to care for body and soul. If this sounds like a mission you, too, are passionate about, please consider signing up to be a Porchlight host. Participating as an attendee at an upcoming house concert is also a great way to connect in person. Keep an eye out here for events to attend!
See you IRL!
Justus Stout, and the Porchlight team