What Would Joan of Arc Think About Social Media and Modern Communication?

I would be astounded by such power placed in human hands. In my time, a message traveled slowly—by horse, by foot, by the spreading of word from mouth to mouth. Truth and falsehood moved at the same pace, and power belonged to those who controlled the channels through which information flowed. Kings, bishops, those who held the printing presses—they shaped what people knew.

But you have given everyone a voice. Everyone can speak. Everyone can be heard. This is both magnificent and terrifying.

I would ask: what are you doing with this power? When the voices called to me, they came with divine purpose. Every word I spoke was meant to serve God's will and save France. But I see your modern communications filled with vanity, with lies dressed as truth, with cruelty masked as righteousness. You have the power to spread light across the world in an instant, yet many use it to spread darkness.

I would warn against this: be careful what you amplify. Be careful what you believe simply because many voices repeat it. In my trial, they presented me with false testimony, with twisted accounts of my words. I had to stand firm in what I knew to be true. You must do the same. Do not let the roar of the crowd convince you of lies, no matter how loudly or frequently they are spoken.

But I would also say this—use these tools as I used my voice. Speak truth boldly. If you see injustice, cry out against it. Use your voice not for self-advancement but for the advancement of something greater than yourself. The fact that you can reach so many people means you have a responsibility to reach them with something worth saying.

Your modern communication is a gift, but like all gifts from God, it can be perverted. Use it wisely, use it truthfully, use it for purposes beyond your own glory. That is how you honor such a gift.