Good news - bad news

Recently, an extract from the Gospel of Saint Luke was read at daily Mass. It was taken from Chapter 10, in which Jesus appointed ‘seventy others’ and ‘sent them on ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he himself intended to visit’.

Today, we are likewise called and sent as disciples of the Good News. Too often, we allow our minds and hearts to be coarsened by a constant stream of negativity and bad news, whether on mainstream media or across various social media platforms.

Now, it is a good and wholesome thing to be informed and, when appropriate, to correct error or question certain trends and opinions. However, for every negative news story or destructive online comment thread, there is also good news — not only that found in the Gospel, but in the countless acts of kindness and service carried out each day by so many people.

Let us stay focused on the Good News as our primary nourishment, and allow a Christ-like attitude to guide our thoughtful use of social media and our engagement with the wider news. This is why a daily habit of reading, praying, and living out the message of the Scriptures, especially those found in the Mass readings, is so helpful. We should devote more time and attention to the Good News as to the bad.