Christmas
December 27, 2016

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 63:7-9

For he said, ‘Surely they are my people,
   children who will not deal falsely’;
and he became their savior
in all their distress.
It was no messenger or angel
   but his presence that saved them;
in his love and in his pity he redeemed them;
   he lifted them up and carried them all the days of old. –Isaiah 63:8-9

I inherited being a news hound from both my parents who read the local newspaper every day and watched network news morning, noon, and night after we purchased a television. I do remember getting the TV; I do not remember listening to the news on the radio. I am confident my parents did. I sometimes wonder if it is worth the frustration that results in feeling helpless when taking in all the bad in the world. The news is a great source of information for intercessory prayer and does remind me that God is the only source of salvation.

We now must discern what is real news and what is fake. Such discernment is nothing new. I worked on a child abuse case in the 1970’s that resulted in the death of a child, knew the sordid details far more than I wanted. The evening news described the situation so incorrectly I did not recognize it until I heard the names. It was horrible enough in reality; there was no need to enlarge the story. Propaganda is an ancient form of warfare. At a time when media relies on profits to measure success, stories of great import land on the editors’ floor while, at least locally, we seem to thrive on car chases.

I suppose other generations have said what I will state now. There has never been a more important time for each of us to place our trust in the God of our salvation.

Prayer: Lord, guide my discernment to see the world from your eyes and target my life’s work toward your perspective. Amen.

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized 
Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council 
of Churches of Christ in the United States of American. Used by permission. All rights 
reserved.