SENTINEL WATCH May 17, 2010 Issue

DON'T GET STUCK IN BREAKING NEWS

GREG JARVIS

HAVE YOU EVER WATCHED a television news story and noticed how it airs over and over? Such "breaking news" is repeated so often and so dramatically that viewers sometimes get fixated on the television, waiting for more information.

I have to ask, Isn't there something else going on? Isn't there more to this story than repeating and repeating news of disaster? Of course. No matter what the tragedy, almost instantly people begin to help one another. These are natural human responses to an emergency. And prayer can also be a natural response—reaching out to a higher power for support, for strength, for help in time of need. It's way to love our neighbors as ourselves, even in situations where we can't actually lend a hand. God loves us, and by helping neighbors—even those we don't know personally—we are expressing His love to others.

I remember the first time I experienced the results of this type of thinking. While I was walking along a busy street, an ambulance rushed by with lights flashing and siren blaring. My first thought was that someone was hurt, but I immediately turned to God in prayer to gain a higher, spiritual view. It became clear that the siren and vehicle were signs of help, of care for one another, and that none of us is ever outside of God's love for His children.