A Christian revival is hitting social media — but it’s drenched in ambiguous layers of irony, and it’s happening in the messy confines of memes. People are using the phrase “my brother in Christ” to connote friendly condescension with a polite and pious flair, pointing out their peers’ problems with Christ-like respect.
“My brother in Christ” has a faux earnestness that’s disarmingly affectionate, and Know Your Meme says that the first recorded instance was this Subway meme, where the phrase was placed over the n-word. In the past two months or so, “my brother in Christ” memes have poked fun at car infrastructure, Chipotle haters, self-professed manic pixie dream girls, and parents who are out of touch with mental illness. It’s been paired with sad images of Elmo impersonators and has even been used to dunk on the president.
