Sunday 15 February 2015

On News



I’ve decided to give up reading the news for Lent. What better way to cease cogitating upon the world, the flesh and the devil? The news is soaked in worldly waters, from changing climates to political precipitations to wars and rumours of war. The flesh, both sensuality and mortality, swims through it carrying naked celebrities, vigorously sporting vulgarities, morbidities, cruelties and corpses. Such devils play in it as freakish financials, household horrors, and spoiled, unsanctified, sinister and savage speech.
            But I want to know. Sometimes I need to know, though maybe a lot less than I think, much of what happens directly consequent on what came before, with nations, persons, places.
            The liturgical year gives signs to separate the furious churning of events, so hard to distinguish, so easily forgetting, so careless of history, so tender to illusions of all kinds. What would it mean to attend to news of divine events?
            The birth of a King; sorrows of a Mother; gift of friendship (loyal or disloyal), pangs of salvation? Corruption of authorities, hostilities of mobs, reign of disease, transformations, transfiguration? Healing power of peace? Grace on earth?
            Divine news gives signs to interpret worldly news. Go there.

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