Good morning church family,
Before long, I’m afraid newspapers will go the way of phone booths, gray flannel suits, and the milk man. And that’s a sad reality to have to accept, for newspapers have long played a wonderful role in the life of the nation and its many cities and communities. Anyone leafing through his local daily would become literate on any number of important matters close to home and around the world. A good newspaper didn’t just educate its audience but would motivate and inspire them as well. Using provocative headlines, newspapers often coaxed people out of their informational ecosystems; daring them to read stories and opinions from disparate voices. The daily newspaper also served as public record; keeping neighbors informed of police activity, property sales, graduations, engagements, births, and deaths. And it wasn’t all high and lofty either. There was a lot of fun to be had too as ink and newsprint were devoted to comic strips, box scores, crossword puzzles, Dear Abby, and the jumble. It’s not hyperbole to say that newspapers were often the knitting needles that helped produce the very fabric of our society.
As a young boy, I enjoyed delivering newspapers on my paper route. For years I would get up every morning and find bundles of still-warm copies of the Washington Post out by the curb in front of our house. I would haul them into my family’s living room, cut the ties, stuff the inserts, either band or bag the papers depending on the weather, and then, with a loaded newspaper sack over each shoulder, head out to deliver my route. Cox, Sheridan, and Somerset were my streets and it seemed that nearly every house up and down the road got the paper. And the ones that didn’t get the Post – got the Times. Papers seemed to draw the entire neighborhood around a campfire of information and conversation. I loved it.
One of the most endearing things about newspapers has always been the different names these dailies would put on their mastheads. You can group newspaper names into two general categories; those that present a newspaper as a simple historical record and those that present it as a defender of the public interest. Names that fit in the former category are ones like the Times, Chronicle, Journal, Post, Globe, and Gazette. Names fitting the latter category would be newspapers calling themselves the Herald, Tribune, Sentinel, Crier, Courier, and Star. I love how these types of names had the newspapers assuming an almost prophetic office within the community. And that got me to thinking.
As the newspaper industry now fades into history, what might it look like if we tried taking up the mantle ourselves. Why can’t we all be newspapers of a sort? Obviously, should I be a newspaper (the John Tate Times or the J. T. Harbinger and Dispatch might work) the universe of my reporting would be quite small. I could write plenty of stories concerning events at 63, 75, and 82 Eastern Avenue. I could also provide editorial insights into the heart and mind of the publisher, though I don’t imagine many would care much about that. But I might endeavor to do some additional reporting into areas of much broader interest. Suppose I had something to report under the following headlines: “Death Defeated!” “God Revealed!” “Doorway Into Eternity Discovered!” “Peace on Earth!” Shouldn’t headlines like these get folk’s attention and have them asking for a copy?
Think of it – I could do biblical journalism on all kinds of subjects including marriage, family, economics, diet, and the Middle East. I could break all kinds of stories on matters near and dear to my readers; things such as the root of all evil, the key to self-discipline, and how to achieve the desire of your heart. Instead of only studying the Bible as a matter of personal devotion or merely for immediate application in areas of singular concern for me and my life, I might also study the Bible for the benefit of others. With my neighbor in mind, I could wrestle with all sorts of difficult concepts, work to comprehend any number of mysteries, and become so familiar with complex doctrines that I might be able to articulate them to anyone, anywhere. I could make sense of things! I could be a hardboiled gumshoe tramping through the Scriptures, the breathless reporter showing up on the scene of every major happening in my neighborhood, and the most compelling editorialist sitting out in front of the hardware store, in the barber’s chair, or on the barstool at the local watering hole. No matter the situation or the conversation, I could fire up the presses and get the good news out.
I know it might seem a strange thing to say and perhaps it stretches the metaphor’s elasticity to the point of snapping, but why not consider how you might be a daily newspaper in the year to come; publishing a biblical worldview with every word you speak? I’m certain that God will go with you on your paper route.
We’re looking forward to gathering together in the morning to celebrate the birth of our Savior and the reign of our King, Jesus Christ! The season of advent is so rich in wonder, hope, and joy. What a blessing to be able to share in it with each of you! As I continue to mature in my faith – I’ve certainly come to look more forward to Christmas Sunday than I do Christmas morning (though it’s a close second!). Whichever it is for you – come into His house rejoicing! May the Lord, mighty God, bless and continue to keep us!
- Pastor Tate
