I gave up reading the news for Lent. Car repair workshop:
what’s news? Choice of newspaper, gossip mags, large screen TV. Magazines
relentlessly procreational: weddings, engagements, infidelities, jealousies,
breakups, babies, parental panics and occasional interesting illnesses,
especially children. The only news in town.
Resisted
temptation to read newspaper: political news, local or international, devious
and corrupting. Is TV lifestyle news? Can I avoid news previews running across
the foot?
Social
media causes. Meritorious causes I support. Would you make your type so huge if
you knew I won’t read news headlines? What’s news?
What was
news in Jesus’ day? Man bashed senseless, left by roadside; white-bleeding
taxes to be enforced soon; partisan leader Barabbas released without trial;
government infrastructure project attracts rioters (deaths at aqueduct
protest); legions on march from Syria;
world-obliterating war in Judea; fall of
civilizations. ‘Can you not discern the signs of the times?’ says Jesus.
No news at
the mall. Only a muffled ambient acoustic, as I descend the escalator, a stream
of souls gliding upwards beside. It’s not clear: I think I hear crowd music,
alleluias. Only for a moment. No news. Can you read the signs of the times?
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