How Should We Respond to the Never-Ending News Cycle?

By David Faust

“Prepare to preach with the Bible in one hand and a newspaper in your other hand.” This advice, often attributed to theologian Karl Barth, reminds us to connect ancient Scriptures with the problems of modern life.  

Today, though, we don’t just read newspapers. We carry around electronic devices that swamp us with information. If gossip and misinformation afflicted the first-century church (and they did), how can we keep our bearings amid today’s blur of non-stop news and divisive political rhetoric?  

Jesus told his followers to expect “wars and rumors of wars” and “famines and earthquakes in various places” (Matthew 24:6-7, New International Version), but he also promised, “I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). How can we be realistic about the world’s problems while remaining hopeful about God’s promises?  

Preoccupied With the ‘Latest Ideas” 

America reminds me of first-century Athens. “All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas” (Acts 17:21).  

Information overload and inter-personal hostility have intensified in the last decade. In 2020, the Covid pandemic fanned flames of fear, hindered face-to-face interaction, and stirred disagreements about mask-wearing and vaccinations. Stores, restaurants, and schools had to find alternate ways to serve their customers and students, and many businesses closed their doors. Elders, preachers, and youth ministers had to figure out new ways to communicate with and care for our flocks. The death of George Floyd, the Black Lives Matter movement, and contentious elections generated heated debates.  

Bad news abounds in our broken world, and news outlets use alarming headlines as click-bait. Week after week, we hear heartbreaking stories about hurricanes, tornadoes, flash floods, wildfires, mass murders, and bombs falling in Ukraine and the Middle East. 

What Should We Do? 

How much time and attention should church leaders devote in Sunday services to the latest worrisome news? Should we weigh in about every hot topic the news media dishes out? Worshipers come to church with these issues on their minds, and we shouldn’t sweep current events under the rug. But neither should we allow the news cycle to dictate what we preach and how we worship.  

Here are some ideas to consider.  

Acknowledge fear, but feed faith. 

By mentioning current events—even the ugly and heartbreaking ones—in pastoral prayers, blogs, and sermon illustrations, we show that Christians are in touch with the world and its worries. But after being exposed to bad news all week, people also need to hear the biblical admonition, “Fear not.” Our hope is in the risen Christ, not in this present world, which is passing away. Christians live by faith, not fear. We trust God’s providence, not a misplaced optimism that assumes humanity can solve all our problems. “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God” (Psalm 20:7). 

Guard your own state of mind. 

One church leader confided recently that his mental and emotional condition improved when he reduced his exposure to news and social media. Before attempting to lead others, we must set our hearts “on things above” (Colossians 3:1). 

Don’t dodge the hard stuff . . .  

. . . like the problem of evil. When innocent bystanders become collateral damage in war, or kids at a Christian camp die in a flash flood, believers and unbelievers alike wonder, “Why does God allow bad things to happen?” Good shepherds not only fight off wolves; they anoint wounded sheep with the oil of God’s mercy. Our flocks need a blend of no-nonsense apologetics (to address honest intellectual questions) and tender compassion (to provide comfort and hope).  

Address current issues with timeless truth. 

Like prophets of old, sometimes preachers must speak unpopular messages that challenge the status quo. We shouldn’t be afraid to “speak where the Bible speaks” on sensitive issues like sexual ethics, the value of human life, compassion for the poor, integrity in government, and justice for the oppressed.  

God’s Word is always relevant. On the Sunday after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2002, I didn’t have to change my sermon plan. I simply continued my sermon series from the book of James, for a verse like “blessed is the one who perseveres under trial” (James 1:12) spoke directly to our situation.  

“Don’t have anything to do with foolish and stupid arguments, because you know they produce quarrels” (2 Timothy 2:23). 

Christians should have a voice in the public marketplace of ideas, but the goal is to save souls, not to scratch “itchy ears” (see 2 Timothy 4:3). Disciple-making is top priority for the church. We must seek God’s kingdom first and avoid becoming embroiled in media-driven distractions that toss us back and forth like ocean waves.  

Like those curious seekers in ancient Athens, our neighbors are preoccupied with the latest news, but deep down they are searching for the unknown God. That’s why the apostle Paul told them about the God who created the world, who doesn’t live in temples built by human hands, who calls us to repentance, who one day will judge the world, and who has raised his Son Jesus from the dead. When we preach this same message, it’s likely we’ll see the kind of results Paul saw. “Some sneered,” some believed, and others said basically, “We want to hear more” (see Acts 17:32-34). 

In a culture filled with bad news, may God give us wisdom to lead graciously and share boldly the good news of Christ.  

For more ideas, see “What Do I Do When Tragedy Strikes?” by Joshua Branham, published in this week’s issue of the RENEW.Org Network Newsletter, which lists five practical action steps Christians can take in response to national, global, or personal losses.—DF 

David Faust serves as contributing editor of Christian Standard and senior associate minister with East 91^st Street Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. He is the author of 1 & 2 Thessalonians: Unquenchable Faith.