01-02-25

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
January 2, 2025
Donna and I had been traveling to visit family, and unfortunately, I wasn’t feeling well on December 31st. Consequently, we didn’t ring in the new year. Or we did, but from a wonderful deep sleep. I woke up about 4:00 a.m., and though I know it is a bad habit, I grabbed my phone to look at the news. The tragic events unfolding in New Orleans were just making the news websites, so I quietly entered the bathroom to avoid disturbing my spouse and accessed one of the news stations online. Of course, the information provided was incomplete and vague at best during that initial hour or so after the event. Since we spent most of yesterday in the car, we weren’t able to catch up on the news until last night. Even now, as I write this, many questions remain unanswered. Now I understand that desire for information, and with technology, 24-hour news outlets, and social media, information reaches us a whole lot faster than it once did. Sadly, it’s not always accurate information. As I watched last night, many stations featured numerous talking heads offering various insights, some of which were based on educated guesses at best. I understand that some of these individuals are experts in their respective fields, but it’s important to note that not all of their statements were entirely accurate. However, there will be people who have only caught a brief glimpse of the news, possibly only four minutes, and they may mistakenly share information they heard as fact. As I often emphasize, if you are a follower of Jesus, there are certain expectations that we should strive to achieve with every fiber of our being. One of them is truth-telling. We will all inevitably make mistakes, as it’s an inherent part of being human. However, as followers of Jesus, I firmly believe we are called to uphold a high standard of speaking the truth, rather than resorting to alarmist assumptions that are often presented on profit-driven news shows that prioritize ratings over providing verifiable information. We must adopt a distinct and, perhaps, conservative approach to information dissemination. This is the cautious approach we take so that people can say of us, “They are voices that can be trusted.”

Provide me with a spirit of calm, Lord God, as I give space for the needed facts to work their way through the noise often created for the ears of the impatient. I yearn to be a truth-teller, even when the truth is not as thrilling as some had hoped. And as the truth is told, maybe there is a great chance of a future with fewer painful and tragic events. This is my hope. Amen.