Some Good News

“They don’t publish the good news.

The good news is published by us.

We have a special edition every moment,

And we need you to read it.”

Excerpt from Thich Nhat Hanh’s poem, “The Good News”

You should really look up this poem and read it… it’s really great. Especially for these times we’re living in. I don’t know about you, but with all that’s going on in the world, in our country, in our communities… it seems like the good news is getting harder and harder to find. 

I like to stay informed, yet when the morning paper comes and it hits the kitchen table, everything in that front section seems to scream BAD NEWS!!  It’s not exactly a great way to start the day.  Covid-19, killer hornets, racially fueled violence, warnings that if we don’t do something soon, the Earth’s temperature will get so hot that it will be inhabitable… probably in my lifetime, and certainly in my kids’.

Yes of course, it’s a journalist’s duty to report the facts.  And much of the news we should certainly be aware of.  It’s a key way us citizens stay informed.  As the Washington Post tagline goes, “Democracy dies in darkness.”  We need our journalists to keep investigating and bringing things to light.

Yet I know that when I don’t monitor my media consumption, when I follow the never-ending stream of bad news… that can quickly spiral downward into a feeling of hopelessness.  

When there is so much bad news around, it can crowd out the good.  Like Thich Nhat Hanh wrote, “They don’t publish the good news. The good news is published by us. We have a special edition every moment. And we need you to read it.” 

You need to read it and hear it.  I need to read it and hear it. 

If we don’t publish the good news for each other, who will?  If we don’t tell the stories that inspire hope, who will?  

I’ve been inspired by folks like John Krasinski, who have taken to YouTube to highlight “Some Good News” in the midst of the pandemic.  Telling stories that bring to light the goodness of people…. loving gestures, good deeds, shared experiences and shared humanity.  

And although I’m not actively serving a congregation right now, the words of my preaching professor Dr. Craig Satterlee always echo in my ears when I’m preparing a sermon.  “What is the good news? What is the good news?” he’d always ask.  For the word Gospel itself means good news… so if I’m reading over my sermon and I can’t find some good news, if there’s no trace of unearned blessing… well then I better scrap it and start over!

Friends, I hope you are finding some good news.  Because we all need it right now more than ever.  I hope you are finding it through some good preaching, or through John Krasinksi, or from poetry, or from daily practices of mindfulness.  Whatever it is that brings you hope… I hope you are finding that.  I hope that the good news will outweigh the bad news.

For the past 27 days now, I’ve been participating in an online course called “Wild Writing.”  Laurie Wagner is a gifted writer and coach, and she has made available a free e-course called “27 Wildest Days.”  To put it in a nutshell, it’s stream-of-consciousness style writing, with the jump-off point being a line of poetry.  I’ve been blessed by her generous spirit, this process, and her invitation to drop perfectionism and just say yes to whatever’s coming.  For we’re not trying to craft something perfect, but to say something true.  

The last day was Thich Nhat Hanh’s poem, “The Good News.”  Here’s what it stirred up in me…

“They don’t publish the good news.  The good news is published by us.”  - TNH

The good news is that the sun rose again today.

And my eyes opened again to see it.

The good news is the signs of life all around… the grass growing, the flowers blooming, the newborn fawns appearing.

The neighbor’s lawn mower is humming in the distance, and that is good news.  They are alive too.

The good news is that the birds are still singing their sweet melodies.  If we listen closely, it can be the peaceful backdrop to our every waking moment.

The good news is that we as citizens can make responsible and caring decisions. Even if our elected officials do not.

The good news is that the streets and paths are wide open, beckoning our feet to escape the four walls for a while.    

The good news is that we can write the story.

The good news is that we have choices.

The good news is that we have brains that can ponder and plan, imagine and create.

The good news is that the libraries are open (partially), and we can be transported to a different scene in the span of a few pages and chapters.

The good news is that the washer and dryer and the dishwasher are in working order.

The good news is that we have taste buds to savor delicious food.

The good news is that the garden will soon be planted, and things will start to take root and grow.

The good news is that there are medications that can help lift the symptoms.

The good news is that the musicians and poets and comedians and artists of all sorts are still at work.

The good news is that I have a bed and a soft pillow where I can lay my head.

The good news is that there are crayons and colored pencils to give life and vibrancy to a plain page.

The good news… while it may feel like an eternal Groundhog Day… is that this is a day unlike any other.  

“They don’t publish the good news.

The good news is published by us.

We have a special edition every moment,

And we need you to read it.”