Whenever someone communicates anything in any form, the message will either attract or repel readers, listeners or viewers. All communication is like a magnet, with north and south poles.

What you do in social media or blog for your author platform will either cost or earn readers. No matter what you do, the best you can hope for is a net positive, with more people friending, following and subscribing than the number driven away.

Commonly understood etiquette is “don’t talk about politics or religion” when attending a social event where a variety of people are gathered.  Why? Because the host of the function desires their guests to be friends and enjoy themselves. Therefore, no potential repelling conversation. Please.

Politics and religion are universal hot buttons.

I’ve already stuck my finger in the light-socket of politics for Christian authors with this post, so I figured why not complete the electrical circuit and talk about religion. Specifically, the Christian faith.

Christian teachers and authors are not universally loved and accepted. You only need to know Scripture on the surface to see Jesus was not universally loved and accepted. After all, he was betrayed, hunted down, arrested on made-up charges, beaten, and killed by crucifixion, the most humiliating and agonizing of all punishments.

Jesus communicated things which attracted and repelled. The first followers of Jesus often paid with their lives for their faithfulness because the message of Christ was foolishness at best and at worst, blasphemous to many of the religious leaders of the day.

Knowing you are going to attract and repel no matter what you do, makes your message worthwhile.

I’d rather an author repel someone by suggesting Jesus Christ is the one and only way to God than by a rant about another church who doesn’t use the right Bible translation or sing the right hymns.

Using Jesus’ life as an example, his greatest moments attracting thousands of people were followed by episodes which angered others. But if you look closely, it was his love, mercy, forgiveness and grace which attracted multitudes and when he did speak harsh truth and make some people angry, it was to a few who were threatened by his presence, message and actions.

Whatever you do in social media or anywhere in your author platform, make it worthwhile.

You can attract some people by reflecting anger, bias, or base-level desires you know will create a following. But for Christian writers, techniques of effective worldly communication are not worthwhile.

The only anger which is justified is righteous anger, the kind even Jesus exhibited at times.

For Christian authors, the ends do not determine the means. You are called to speak truth. That’s all.

If you are going to make someone mad, make them mad with the truth of Scripture and the reality of Jesus Christ, not because of your unwavering adherence to a nonessential theological issue.

Attract or repel for the right things. Worthwhile things.

And if you are going to attract a following, be different, attract with the love, mercy, forgiveness and grace of Jesus Christ, not around things of this world which will only pass away. There are enough people doing that already.