MINISTERS MUSINGS

May Musing

Good news

For many the TV or radio news is a ‘must’ to be switched on at least once a day. Thanks to modern technology and intrepid reporters we are transported from our homes to the centre of a drama like the tsunami or the latest carnage in Iraq. Who can ignore the harrowing scenes of suffering from the third world, or forget the breathless escape of Kate Adie from Tiananmen Square! How our hearts miss a beat when sudden crazy camera shots indicate that a bomb has exploded too close to the cameraman. We are indebted to the courage of those who give us accounts of events as they happen. At this time our prayers are for Alan Johnston, the BBC reporter in Gaza who has been abducted or even murdered. Here is a man who chose to live in a region which is like a boiling cauldron so that we might know what is happening behind those barricades. We do not doubt the accuracy and authenticity of such reports because a vital ingredient in such reporting is integrity. There is no slanting or skewing of news; facts alone are presented.

Dramatic reporting from Palestine is not new. The Bible, particularly the New Testament is full of them. Writers give first hand accounts of the most pivotal event in history, the life, death and resurrection of Christ. At the opening of his gospel Luke records that he had heard so much from so many about Jesus that he felt it right to record it. Luke was a doctor with a trained analytical mind and an ability to make accurate records of what he had heard. Here is reporting that can be trusted.

John, a disciple and close companion of Jesus writes in his gospel as an eye witness . We read of the innermost thoughts and actions of our Lord. John was at the foot of the cross and would have heard Christ’s last words. He was the first into the empty tomb having outrun Peter, and he was a witness to many resurrection appearances which is recorded in detail. He concludes his gospel by affirming the truth of what he has written so that we too may know and believe and have fullness of life. There is much more to learn from the factual reporting of these ancient Palestinian correspondents. All we have to do is to ‘tune in’ at least once a day for the best news of all time.