25 Oct Breaking News
Read Ecclesiastes 1:9-10
Thought for the Day: Jesus is enough!
The idea of breaking news first entered our culture in the 1920s during what is known as the ‘Golden Age of Radio’. But even before that time, individuals and groups relied on the telegraph for access to instant news. Cyrus West Field’s completion of the first transatlantic telephone cable in 1858 was the greatest technological breakthrough of the last 200 years. Communication that once took weeks suddenly took minutes. In this new era, generals could turn to the telegraph and get up-to-date information capable of turning the tide of battle. Companies used this new technology to gain a competitive edge. Sharing information as quickly as possible became the industry norm. From 1858 to today, our society has thirsted not just for news, but breaking news.
In our spiritual lives, it is easy to long for breaking news. Seeing things around us that make no sense, we can hope that some brand new truth will be revealed and suddenly make sense of everything. (This desire is not new. In the Early Church, it was known as ‘Gnosticism’.) No matter how hard we search for breaking spiritual news, we won’t find it. Instead, we are reminded of the words of the Preacher in Ecclesiastes: “What has been is what will be, and what has been done is what will be done, and there is nothing new under the sun. Is there a thing of which it is said, ‘See, this is new?’ It has been already in the ages before us.” The only news we need is the Good News that has been around for 2000 years: Jesus came to seek us, save us, and give us abundant life!
What do we do when we feel the need for spiritual breaking news? Simple: let’s open up the Bible. Our lives will never be perfect. We will never find secrets leading us to the perfect spouse, family, church, or job. But even without perfect versions of these things, life is meaningful. When we trust Christ and read God’s Word, we learn that we don’t need breaking news to be happy. Jesus is enough.
In Christ,
Pastors Stan and David
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