Curmudgeon alert (me, not Shaw)...
George Bernard Shaw, neither a theologian nor even a Christian, nevertheless made a perceptive point when he once wrote the following:
"Newspapers are unable, seemingly, to discriminate between a bicycle accident and the collapse of civilization."
You've noticed, haven't you, that the audiences of media loves bad news? Well, they hate it. But they love it. Like the old Listerine commercial, where you hate it twice a day. Can't get enough bad news, it seems.
And if there isn't enough REALLY bad news today, they will inflate the PRETTY bad news to REALLY bad. And if there isn't even much PRETTY bad news today, they will imagine how bad it COULD be, and wouldn't THAT be dreadful if it came to pass!
And rather quietly (for now), in comes Jesus Christ, with the Good News that God has come to Earth as Man, and died for our sins, and was buried and rose again from the dead, and is alive now, saying, "Come to Me and I will give you rest."
And if anyone will come to Him, if anyone will believe in Him, they can not only have a new life now, forgiven of their sins, but eternity in the loving presence of the loving Lord of the Universe. They can have HIM!
Purpose...and Passion...and Promise.
That really is Good News. Worth meditating on for a lifetime and after. Worth seeking until it's found.
But, "No," say billions. "I'd rather watch the bad news, thank you. Did you see what happened TODAY?!"
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. -- Philippians 4:8
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"Now it is very remarkable that the only passage in the whole New Testament in which the heart of Jesus is distinctly mentioned is the one before us. . . .
The words employed here include, first, a readiness on the part of Christ to pardon all past offenses. 'Come to me,' he says, 'for however much you may have offended in the past, I am meek and easily to be entreated. I am ready to forgive, to forget and cast behind my back all your provocations. I do not say this to cajole you; my very heart says it, for my heart is full of tenderness and compassion for you.'
The words also include a willingness to endure yet further offenses. 'Not only do I forget the past but I am ready to bear with you still, though you should still offend me. I will endure it all. Come to me, although you cannot hope that your future character will be perfect. I will help you to struggle into holiness and be patient with your failures. As frequently as you shall grieve me, so frequently will I forgive you. I am meek in heart, ready to forgive the past and willing to bear with you in the present and in the future.'
Beloved brethren, what a heart Jesus has to receive sinners in this divine manner!"
C. H. Spurgeon, Treasury of the New Testament, I:177-179.
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