We are living at a time of perpetual bad news, whether it is the ugliness of unrest around the world, the reality of economic turmoil, or the specter of a continued pandemic. And to make matters worse, our rapid-fire newsfeeds and incessant communication creates a loop of perpetual crisis. There is an old saying: bad news travels fast.
I have noticed that I tend to respond one of two ways in this context: despair or cynicism.
Despair: I feel that nothing can be done, and I only see defeat and destruction. The end result is apathy as I go through the day with blinders.
Cynicism: I take the posture of a critic, highlighting the problems and difficulties and shaking my head that nothing will ever change
Both of those responses are born out of hopelessness. You don’t have to look far in any culture to encounter despair or cynicism. But as Christ followers we are to die to this and be hopeful people, resurrection people, a people “born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading” (1 Peter 1:3–4 ESV). There is no room for despair or cynicism here.
Amidst the challenges you my brothers and sisters in Sri Lanka are facing, your natural response may be despair or cynicism , but remember , you have a resurrected Savior who knows your pain, who has overcome death and is walking with you. That is true HOPE!
—Matt Lucas, D.A
President / CEO Our Daily Bread Ministries
