Clickbait for the Kingdom

Fishers of men in a world of algorithms

There’s something wearying about the flood of sensational thumbnails that scream, “The Biggest Mistake Christians Make,” “Why You’re Not Really Saved,” or “This One Thing Every Catholic Gets Wrong.” It’s noise that often numbs the soul rather than nourishes it.

But maybe the reason it irritates us is because it tempts something real. We want to click. We want the promise of meaning. And that desire—if purified—might actually be holy.

The Fisherman’s Paradox

Jesus called fishermen, not philosophers, to proclaim His Gospel. “Follow me,” He said, “and I will make you fishers of men” (Matthew 4:19). Every fisherman knows that catching requires bait—something that attracts, that glints in the water just long enough to draw the hungry near. The difference between manipulation and mission lies not in the hook, but in the heart behind it.

Clickbait tries to capture attention for self-gain—views, revenue, vanity metrics that evaporate like morning mist. Evangelical “bait,” at its best, seeks to ca…