Article April 27, 1987 Issue

Is there a demand for a more spiritual viewpoint in the media?

The Christian Science Monitor

Most of us consume a broad diet of media fare these days. We flip back and forth between news commentaries and music on the car radio, skim through two or three magazines in a waiting room, and with the help of a remote-control channel changer, pick up the highlights of two or three television programs scheduled simultaneously. The media have to work hard to keep the attention of consumers like us.

The result has been a good number of productions—both print and electronic—with real quality. But as one professional in communications, I'll have to say I wish I found more spiritual vision in the media. It's easy to relegate spiritual vision to religious broadcasting. But couldn't any production use more of what the prophets gave in Old Testament days— insight into the fundamental issues of the day? I keep wondering if we are missing what Christ Jesus calls "the signs of the times,"^{Matt. 16:3.} even while we get more and more expert at seeing the signs of economic, political, and social change.

Something that happened to the prophet Elisha has raised some questions for me. He and his servant were once surrounded by an army specifically sent to capture him because his prophecies had been causing trouble. The servant was terrified, and so Elisha prayed, "Lord, ... open his eyes, that he may see."^{II Kings 6:17.}

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