For God has not given us a spirit of fear – but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. (2 Timothy 1:7)
There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear … (1 John 4:18)
As a journalism major (OSU ’82) I’m a student and a consumer of news. I was fortunate to learn the craft in the post-Watergate era of journalism, where facts were king. No accusation or quote could be published/broadcast without at least 2 (better yet 3) independent confirmations. Also, there was the News department and the Editorial department: one for facts, one for opinion, with a firewall between them.
Of course journalism wasn’t perfect in that era … but oh how things have changed! Today, thanks to social media and smart phones, virtually everyone is (or thinks they are) a journalist. But the lines have been blurred – actually, obliterated – in those two important areas: facts and opinion. Just the facts, ma’am? Cross-checking facts? Truthfully telling the story without spin?
With my degree and through my work with SLF, sampling a wide variety of media outlets is something I do. I listen and read on both sides of the dial – not to become a disciple of any one outlet, but to know what’s being said and what impact it’s having. My heart is troubled. It’s not merely the disregard for facts and the glorification of opinion … it’s the fear-peddling! Especially from talking heads and outlets that claim to be God-centered.
Fear is not from the Lord. Fear is the opposite of Love. It’s in the Scriptures (above).
I’ve been engaging in a little experiment. I want to make sure my impressions are accurate and not fake news. So I’ve been analyzing and prayerfully discerning many news sources. Again, on both sides of the aisle. There’s a glut of fear. Name-calling. Slander. Fear. Insinuation. Gossip. Fear. Repeated lies. Conspiracy theories. Fear.
Both science and faith contend that such behavior is unhealthy. For individuals and community. So why do we persist? Especially the Christ-follower? With a contentious election nigh, we can’t control what others say. But we can control – based on facts – what we believe, say and do. And even if the facts are hard and harrowing, we don’t need to peddle fear. Just the opposite.
Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. (Philippians 4:8)
