Article May 6, 2013 Issue

Staying on top of the news

Michelle Nanouche

A version of this article initially appeared as a Web original on JSH-Online.com.

The book of Proverbs says, “As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country” (25:25). But sometimes another kind of thirst takes over when the news isn’t so good. The media often feed an unhealthy appetite for details of sad events. If we aren’t alert, bad news can be intoxicating, luring us into tales of horror that paralyze us mentally. The book of Isaiah describes “a thirsty man [who] dreameth, and, behold, he drinketh; but he awaketh, and, behold, he is faint, and his soul hath appetite” (29:8).

Thirst for news is as normal as thirst for water. But where we turn for news, and what we do with it afterward, makes a huge difference.

Years ago, the sudden death of a young child actress became a major reporting event in the United States. Experts spelled out in great detail the symptoms and risks associated with her condition. A strong pull to these reports kept me glued to the television for days—until my own 17-month-old daughter fell suddenly ill, exhibiting most of the symptoms described on the news.

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