When Breaking News Becomes Heart-Breaking News
Today’s Front Page will break your heart. Stories of violence and death and racism and terrorism fill the headlines of the morning news. Although we feel like we can take no more, reminders of injustice and cries for justice are reported and broadcasted in seemingly unprecedented volume.
- Orlando.
- Istanbul.
- Brussels.
- Baghdad.
- Baton Rouge.
- Minnesota.
- Dallas.
Breaking News has routinely become Heart-Breaking News.
THE CONDITION OF THE HEART
So what is at the heart of all of these heart-breaking stories? What drives the injustice and fuels the hate?
As visible as the condition of the heart is on today’s front page, this heart condition is even more vividly displayed throughout Scripture.
The Scriptures describe the heart of man as “Deceitful” and “Desperately Sick” (Jeremiah 17:9), a description that seems fitting given the most recent headlines. The Bible goes on to teach that, outside of the peace and love of Christ, man is “hostile in mind, doing evil deeds” (Colossians 1:21), “hating one another” (Titus 3:3), and in love with darkness while rejecting the light (John 3:19).
Given this heart condition, it is not surprising when hostile evil and dark hate fill our streets and nightly news.
THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE HEART
So where do we put our hope? To whom do we go? What would ever change these people?
The Creator of man knows the heart of man and, therefore, man’s greatest need: A NEW HEART.
Man’s cry for a new heart and God’s promise of a new heart are woven throughout Scripture:
- “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalm 51:10)
- “I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they will be my people and I will be their God, for they will return to me with their whole heart.” (Jeremiah 24:7)
- “I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.” (Ezekiel 36:26)
- “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” (2 Corinthians 5:17)
Our hearts are sick and in need of healing. And just as Jesus Christ is the only one who can restore this brokenness and bring the justice for which we cry, Jesus is also the only one who can give sinful man a forgiven, new heart.
So we pray, that the next story we hear will be a story of transformation, and the next news proclaimed will be the Good News…the Good News of a new heart through Jesus Christ. Then, as Paul writes, we will all say, “How Beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Good News” to:
- Orlando.
- Istanbul.
- Brussels.
- Baghdad.
- Baton Rouge.
- Minnesota.
- Dallas.
And the Ends of the Earth.
Jonathan Williams is the founder of Gospel Family Ministries. He is also the author of Gospel Family. Jonathan enjoys this ministry alongside his wife, Jessica, and their three children, Gracie, Silas & Elijah. With a heart for families and the church, Jonathan also serves as the pastor of Wilcrest Baptist Church in Houston, Texas.
