Negativity
Photographers and reporters at news conference, Source/Photographer E911a, (CC BY-SA 4.0 International)
From traditional newspapers and radio or television broadcasts to the latest news feeds online, our news media are filled with negativity. We hear and read constantly about what is wrong with the world. And there is a great deal of it.
But to make matters worse, that is coupled with the criticism and pessimism of journalists, commentators, and influencers (not to mention their bias, distortions, and outright lies).
Daily – even hourly – bombarded with this, we necessarily become jaded, developing calluses as a matter of self-defense. One murder, one rape, one mass shooting blends into the next. Political scandals drag on and on, milked for everything they are worth. And all the while the world grows darker.
Little wonder that we grow weary. As Christians, however, we have reason to be joyful.
We know the “Good News” of Salvation:
- Christ died for the sins of this broken world;
- Christ rose from the dead, securing eternal life for us with Him; and
- Christ will come again.
There will be wars and rumors of wars. There will earthquakes in many places. There will be false messiahs – promising peace, but bringing destruction.
Whatever the news media may convey, our hope is in Christ. Each day, we have a fresh opportunity to share Christ’s love and that hope with the world.
“General opinion is starting to make out that we live in a world of hatred and greed, but I don’t see that. It seems to me that love is everywhere.
Often it’s not particularly dignified or newsworthy. But it’s always there. Fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, boyfriends, girlfriends, old friends.
When the planes hit the Twin Towers as far as I know none of the phone calls from the people on board were messages of hate or revenge. They were all messages of love.
If you look for it, I’ve got a sneaking suspicion you’ll find that love is all around.”
—Love Actually (2003)
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A Lawyer's Prayers 
I agree with you Anna. Love and goodness are everywhere if we choose to find them. Unfortunately, in this fallen world the voices of negativity are louder than the voices of love, but hasn’t it always been this way? As far back as the garden of Eden the voice of negativity was preferred over God’s voice.
All of which says to me that listening to negativity instead of love is a choice. We do have a choice as to what we see and hear-we just need to start making better choices!
Thanks sincerely for this necessary reminder, Anna, it’s been in my head and heart all day. I followed it up with a YouTube clip, “Finding God in Ordinary Life” by Thomas Merton, the Trappist Monk from Kentucky. He reminded us that we need to have ‘Daily access to life and light,’ and that in all our comings and goings ‘God is here!’
Bless you and your readers, and have a good week.
The Bible encourages us to focus on what is true, noble, lovely, and praiseworthy (guiding our hearts toward God’s goodness and the beauty of life) (Phil. 4: 8). But that can be a challenge these days. Bless you, too, Erroll.
I appreciate the ladies that come to my Bible study for most of them have lots of wisdom and discernment. We lift each other up every week with Godly reminders God is working out His will in all our lives. Our ages range from early 60 to middle 80 and once in a while a couple of younger ones stop in. It is a challenge some days but challenges are good for the soul for we have to trust Him daily for encouragement. He has not forgot us, He knows exactly what is going on. Encouraging post
I’m glad you liked it! 🙂
I am in my 70s now. But I take part in a women’s Bible study I find enriching. We must cling to the word of God in these tumultuous times.
Praise God for the good people doing good deeds day after day, never receiving accolades, just sharing God’s love because they love to bless others. I’m thinking of Norma who picked up trash every day on her walk, the couple from our church who picked up our tab when we happened to eat at a restaurant where they were already seated, our neighbor Kevin who I happened to see take our trash can behind the house one morning, another neighbor who brought us a vase of roses from their garden. The list could go on! Every newscast ought to include at least one feel-good story!
I love the quote from Love Actually—especially the phone calls that were happening when they knew they were going to die–they were about calling to tell the people they loved, that they loved them. My cousin was shot by a man trying to steal his car. His last words were not to call out revenge to the man who shot him, but to tell his wife and baby daughter how much he loved them.
It would be lovely, if instead of fear based stories, we had stories that gave us courage to focus on loving and serving each other.
Thank you for this blog! 🙂