"sometimes i wonder what the world would look like if i heard as many sermons about loving my neighbor as i have about the sinful nature of tattoos, rock music, and sex."
i refer to this type of behavior as the "evening news phenomenon." for decades, news programming has presented the public with information about what is going in the world, typically with a substantial slant toward topics of concern - war, economic crises, natural disasters, disease, famine, celebrity gossip, etc. certainly important information, but when it is the only information presented as being newsworthy, something within us begins to change. when bad news is the only news that we hear, then bad news becomes the only news we share. like ellen degeneres says regarding the news headline ticker that crawls across the bottom of the television screen, we really only need one crawl going around that simply says "things are getting worse."
i often see the evening news phenomenon at work when i am counseling couples and families parents come home from work and gripe about their day, they get onto the kids for being rowdy, and everyone nags each other about whatever comes to mind. days and weeks go by with nary a compliment or positive comment exchanged in the home. each person starts to feel like they can't do anything right
i also see the evening news phenomenon occurring in our churches, though admittedly it seems be happening less frequently now than it did 5 or 10 years ago. too often we've focused more on what people are doing wrong than on what they are doing right. while we are quick to point out faults and misdeeds, we are also slow to show grace and to forgive.
my apologies, i realize i'm getting too preachy. i do want to acknowledge that i have been one that was quick to judge, quick to label, quick to insult, and slow, slow, slow to show grace. i desperately want to be an agent of love, and thank god that his grace is never slow or insufficient.
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