The dove and the ostrich: bad news is biblical
As people whose foundational reading is full of accounts of brutality, barbarity, and depravity, we Christians can be very squeamish when it comes to the news. We chew over the ugliness in the Bible, but many times turn away from contemporary reports of darkness almost with a sense of moral superiority.
“Let’s concentrate on all the good things that are happening in the world, rather than the bad,” we suggest with saintly condescension. But that’s not dove-like, it’s being an ostrich. Ignoring the bad stuff doesn’t make it go away. It’s like turning up the radio to drown out the sound of the car’s engine knocking. I tried that once (truly), and it’s not an effective maintenance strategy. You end up with bigger problems.
We need to rethink what we mean by good news and bad news. I’d suggest that following “bad news” doesn’t necessarily mean you are ghoulish, or cynical (“dog bites man isn’t news, man bites dog is news”), but actually might be biblical. Consider that, according to Matthew’s gospel, the first word Jesus offered when he started to preach the “good news of the kingdom” was: “Repent!” Hmm, that suggests a focus on the negative.
He didn’t say everything was peachy, and wasn’t it great how we all got along so well, and let’s all have a big group hug. He said the world’s broken—but He can fix it. He said we’re broken—but He can fix us. He said we’re sick—but He can heal us. Sometimes the only way to get to the good news is to face the bad news first, not to turn away from it. Remember the old adage popular with counselors, that the truth will see you free, but first it will make you miserable.
Of course facing the fallenness of the world can be risky. As I’ve observed before, we need to guard our hearts when we engage with the headlines, because of the news media’s powerful influence. But we should still go there, cautiously, rather than turning our backs.
That will involve being discerning about those we entrust with bringing the news to us. What is their motive? Ratings or righteousness? Traffic or truth? 1 Corinthians 13 is quoted at most weddings, but it would also make a great mission statement for the average newsroom, reminding us that love “does not delight in evil, but rejoices in the truth.”
Yes, some our news media merely delights in the evil: “Shocking details! More at six!” But some goes further, rejoicing in the truth that can be found—that light overcomes darkness, that the worst in some people brings out the best in others: think of the many selfless people who came to the rescue after the Boston Marathon bombings. Mr. Rogers got it right. The bad news—the “scary news,” as he called it—gives us a chance to “look for the helpers” that are always there.
By facing the bad news:
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we know how to pray
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we know what needs to change
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who know who to help
Rather than putting our hands over our eyes to shield ourselves from the bad news, let’s hold them up in front of our faces in a prayerful filter that allows us to see through the bad (“repent!”) to the good, where and how “the kingdom of heaven has”—or may—”come near” (Matt. 4:17).
AndyButcherOnline 
2 Responses to “The dove and the ostrich: bad news is biblical”
And what of those in our midst who see evil in everything?
Excellent points, Andy. When I consider the courage of my brothers and sisters on the mission field where terror and persecution is a real and daily threat, I just cannot buy into the “happy thoughts” theology that is so rampant in America today. To truly experience the transforming power of the Good News, I must face that there is real bad news to overcome with that Gospel.