This what the news tells Christians
Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky displays flowers to honour the memory of victims in the Svyatoshynsky district where 28 residents including 5 children had been killed following a Russian attack in Kyiv. Photo AFP, Ukrainian Presidential Press Service
Christian Life
From present-day conflicts, such as in Gaza or Ukraine, to weather forecasts, news is all around us. How should we, as Christians, deal with this flood of information?
Fake news has become part of everyday language over the past decade. It characterises our age, which is marked by disinformation. And it once again shows how important trustworthy news media are. After all, if we don’t know what is true or have no idea of what is happening around us, it would be much harder for us to interpret the world around us.
Although no one in this part of the world has known a society without media for several centuries, there was a time when news media simply did not exist. And interestingly, we would still be living without them if Christianity had not existed.
The Finnish case
To see where it all started, we must travel back in history. Take Finland, for example. Next September marks the 250th anniversary of the very first edition of a newspaper in the Finnish language. Its founder was Anders Lizelius, a Lutheran pastor from a village not far from the capital at the time, Turku.
The fact that a Lutheran pastor founded the first Finnish-language newspaper may surprise today’s generation. However, Lizelius’ motivation was not simply to communicate the programme of his local church. The first editorial sheds light on his intentions.
To be successful, news media need a culture rooted in a common understanding of truth.
Anders Lizelius wanted to communicate information he considered essential for his people to live responsible lives. This included government decisions, important events (both contemporary and historical), and practical teachings on how to grow crops. This was vital at a time when agriculture was the main activity of the people.
Why was Anders Lizelius interested in ‘worldly’ affairs? Shouldn’t a pastor stay within the walls of his church and preach the word to his parishioners? Lizelius was not only concerned with communicating eternal truth, which he did every Sunday from his church pulpit. He wanted his people to be informed about temporal truths as well. He understood the practical implications of Jesus’ teaching: ‘You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free’ (John 8:32).
Spiritual roots
The Finnish case is not unique. It is no coincidence that the printed press originated in Europe in the early seventeenth century, first in Germany and soon after in the Netherlands and Switzerland.
To be successful, news media need a culture rooted in a common understanding of truth. It is, therefore, no coincidence that, as in Finland, most of the founders of the first newspapers were themselves Christians and often clergymen. For example, the founder of the very first German-language newspaper was the son of a pastor.
Disinformation
Today, the vast majority of news media have forgotten their Christian roots. Christian media are marginal, sadly, because Christians have largely withdrawn from this sphere. Yet, whoever controls the press shapes the culture.
Secular news media often boast of their ‘neutrality’, but this is a myth. Everyone imposes their worldview on events. Everyone has their own conception of good and evil or of what is right or wrong. Since the invention of the printing press, other forms of media have been invented. Radio and television first appeared. And today, the internet has led to the democratisation of information. It is now easy for anyone to write anything via social media or a blog, and the humanist worldview largely dominates the media today.
Christian news reporters must see the news events in a Biblical perspective.
However, any information not rooted in truth as defined by God is, by definition, false information or fake news. And the effects are fatal to society. It was fake news from the serpent that drove our first parents, Adam and Eve, out of the Garden of Eden (Genesis 3).
After the return of the twelve spies who had explored the land of Canaan, ten of them spread fake news, rooted in their humanistic worldview, rather than information rooted in the truth that God had promised them that they would take possession of the Promised Land. Their fake news convinced the people, and that whole generation of Israelites was finally condemned to die in the desert (see Numbers 13). The consequences of Jesus’ teachings are inevitable: unless truth sets us free, lies enslave us.
Christians would obviously agree that news reports have to be truthful. But what is truth? The Bible says that Jesus is the truth. Therefore, news reports must be built upon His definition of what is true, good or meaningful.
But there is more. Christian news reporters must also see the news events in a Biblical perspective. The Bible teaches that God is Sovereign over history and everything that happens over time, including evil events.
Moreover, history goes toward the consummation of the kingdom on earth. All events of history ultimately contribute to the growth of the kingdom of God on earth, when God’s full shalom (a Hebrew term that means peace, health, prosperity, wholeness, etc.) will rule over the earth. Ultimately, that is what news is about: how God fulfils His plan. It is such reporting that the world around needs. Is the modern church ready for the challenge?
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