There Always Seems to be Bad News, But...

(Originally written and posted in 2008, long before the coronavirus pandemic)

Some people are “news junkies” and devour news and commentary 24/7. I’m not, but I do try to keep myself aware of what’s going on around me in my neighborhood, the city of Lansing, Michigan, 

the country, and the rest of the world. I listen to commentary, mostly on the radio, but I also read extensively via the Internet. One thing is clear; most of the news is bad.

Even prayer letters tend to focus on the negative; they tell us who is sick, who has died, who has suffered an accident, and who is out of work. Of course, we want to pray for those who have needs, and the needs are many and often serious. Unfortunately, I fear that the better our lives actually are, the more we dread the problems we face. It’s almost like we are so close to heaven that hell should not be allowed to intrude, but of course the reality is exactly the opposite.

Three negative forces still dominate this world—our own fallen flesh, the evil one, and the world system itself. The best that this world offers is nothing compared to the “eternal weight of glory” awaiting us. We see glimpses but not in the wealth and property we might gain here. Even “perfect health” rapidly fades in a body that is not “like unto his glorious body.”  The company of good friends or the pleasure of a favorite activity cannot compare to the unhindered spiritual fellowship of heaven. Whatever problem, crisis, or tragedy that upsets our earthly well-being cannot touch the awaiting reality that we only see faintly now.

Two different friends asked me if I would be watching the first (2008) Presidential candidate debate, and I said probably not. I could find out later what happened and how the candidates performed, but I had no interest in being drawn into a situation where my sense of confidence about the future rested on what I heard. It does not! Even in the United States, God still vests his authority in those who rule. As important as I believe it is to vote, to express our wishes to those who represent us, and to fight for the values we hold dear, the final outcomes still rests in the hands of God. Those who oppose him will not prevail, whatever they may think or do; those who follow him will not achieve his purposes ultimately through politics.

If there is any bad news to fear, it is the spiritual negligence of God’s people when they become idolatrously devoted to celebrities, this world’s attractions, or even those we love, and I don’t just mean sexual immorality. Far too many believers are invested, literally, in their material wealth, possessions, and entertainments. For them, the bad news is anything that threatens their earthly treasures, but we are warned not to lay up treasures that won’t last. One risk is that we will become so attached to them that they will matter more to us that the things or people of God.

When our eyes are focused on Christ and on things of eternal value, when we care more about people than about possessions, professions, or privileges, then the news will never be quite so bad as the good news of the good life. I don’t mean to be spouting pious words; I am serious. “He that is in us is greater than he that is in the world” means our ultimate future is secure, even if the more immediate future seems at risk. No earthly mansion can match the eternal dwelling he has prepared. No physical illness or injury can prevent us the pleasures of eternity. There will always be bad news, as long as this fallen world endures, but a new heaven and a new earth is coming where there will never again be anything but good news forever.

P.S. I have focused here on the blessings of our eternal future, we who believe, contrasted to the ever-present "bad news" in this present time and place. We are not without hope in this moment either. Peter reminds us, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you,” while Paul recommends, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” I have found, personally, that prayer and faith in God not only put my mind at ease but also many times results in good news.