“Bad news travels at the speed of light; good news travels like molasses.”
Tracy Morgan Via BrainyQuote.com
We have no trouble finding bad news. It practically hits us in the face every time we turn around. Doom and gloom is a trillion-dollar business. We would like to think that we prefer the good, but there is something within us that reacts more strongly to the bad. How much gossip is about the good qualities of a person anyway?
“And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy.”
Luke 2:10 (KJV) via Bible Gateway
On the night the Messiah was born, glad tidings didn’t go to the Roman Emperor, though he ruled the known world. It didn’t go to the puppet king of Israel. In fact, when he eventually heard the good it, he reacted very negatively.
Lowly Shepherds
The people that the world thought mattered didn’t hear the good report that night. If they did, they would have kept it to themselves anyway. Good news travels generally travels like molasses!
Instead, it went to lowly shepherds. When they saw it, they did their best to share it with everyone. Still, the family of the newborn Messiah was able to keep a low profile.
Glad Tidings This Christmas
As a result, in the last couple of years, Christmas has taken a back seat to all the bad. There is plenty of bad news to go around.
- The pandemic drags on and a new variant threatens to spread like wildfire
- Tornadoes caused death and destruction to America’s midsection
- Nations continue saber rattling
Therefore, we need a little joy. We need a little Christmas, even though the first one was humble and mild. We need a savior, a redeemer. Yes, we need a hero. But having someone come to save us usually doesn’t make the news. It makes for great stories, but not click-bait headlines.
Let’s pause, take a breath, and look for the good. It is out there. After all, we can do something good. There are plenty of needs out there. We don’t have to single-handedly save the world, but we can help one person, one family at a time. Let’s be kind in a world that has forgotten how to be gentle.
We can make some good news. Our actions may not travel fast and furious across the world, but they can make a big difference this holiday season.
