As I scrolled this morning’s social media feeds the way yesterday’s dads flipped through the morning paper, I came across something delightful. The Office’s John Krasinski had launched a “good news only” makeshift news show from his home. Coming into month four of 2020 and week three of pandemic isolation, all of us (and certainly myself) could do with some good news! It delivered in every way I expected: stories of people thanking their hospital workers, old folks singing old hymns in love for one another remotely, a cameo from Steve Carrell, and reinforcement of my unshakeable, Millennial appreciation for the fact that John Krasinski really is just Jim Halpert in real life. This was all good news!
The final story was that of a young girl battling cancer, returning from her final chemo treatment to find her entire neighborhood lining her street with balloons, applause, cheers and celebration. Very touching! And very good news. Even in the midst of all she had suffered, the girl was humble and sweet, thanking her nurses and doctors. John ended his show by telling her that he doesn’t know if he can find better news than her: “you are the mic drop of good news!” For John, it doesn’t get any better than this story!
I showed this to my wife, Katie, in one of my husband cheap shots at making her smile. She laughed, but she also said that this video had the opposite effect on her. It made her sad–mad even. Why? “It makes me mad that those old people couldn’t just be together. And it’s nice to thank medical workers, but it just reminds me of the bad situation we are in.”
Does News Get Any Better?
Now why would we want to criticize John Krasinski spreading good news? Am I just being one of those Christians who campaigns against fun? We might as well put cat videos on trial, right? I loved this video, and I still do. John is hillarious, and I love that our medical workers and others are doing their best (even as John says, “laying their own health on the line”) for me. I count these among God’s innumerable blessings to me and my family. The things John points out are, indeed, good–even great–news! However, they’re not the mic drop of good news. They are not the ultimate good news.
In fact, if these stories are as good as news gets, that is cause for grief and anger. If good news ends with a cancer patient (whose disease may return at any time) being greeted by neighbors from a distance because of a global pandemic that still threatens her and millions more with potential death from any personal human contact, then our situation is far beyond hope. If the best we can hope for is to make do in a world with death, disease, war and all manner of evil, I am saddened and angered. Though that news is good, it always relies on further good news. The cancer has to stay gone. The neighbors need to continue their vigilance and support. The medical workers need to continue their service, uncompromised by the pandemic. This can’t be the final word in good news, because if it is, there’s no true good news at all. Because eventually, cancer or age will catch us. Eventually, the doctor’s best won’t be good enough. Eventually, death does part every marriage.
I do recognize that John was trying to look away from this bad news by showing us some good. But the more he shows us provisional good, the more we are reminded that it is only provisional. It’s only temporary, a glance away. If good news is going to last, it has to be leading somewhere. There has to be a true “mic drop” of all good news. There has to be an ultimate good news capable of making these good stories not mere distracting glances away from the tragedy of the human experience, but real looks forward to a truer, better reality that awaits us. That’s the only way to receive “Some Good News” for what it is. In other words, some good news needs the good news for it be truly good.
The Gospel is Good News
You might not realize this, but the word “gospel” used in the Bible literally means “good news.” It’s good, not because it looks away from death, for it tells us that Jesus Christ came to die. The man with power to cleanse the lepor (and a safe assumption would be also those with COVID-19) died. How is this good news!? It’s good exactly because it does not shy away from the tragedy of the human situation. It actually addresses that. God does not turn his face away from evil and death. He does not say to just make the best of what we can, while we can, because that’s as good as it can ever get.
Think about this:
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
(Col 1:15-20)
The Scriptures tell us that Jesus was not a mere man on his way up (to better provisional living), but actually God on his way down (surrendering his own life in order to destroy death forever). Christ being God’s perfect image, the Creator of all things himself, made peace by the blood of his crucifixion. Now this is the mic drop of all good news! It means not only that Jesus died for the forgiveness of sins for any who believe (our own part in the tragedy of the human experience), but he will (and has already begun) to actually “reconcile all things.” That means it is evil, and not good, that is temporary. Cancer is temporary. COVID19 is temporary. Death itself is temporary. And when God is finished with them, the smoke of their ruin will go up for eternity. ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” (Rev 21:4).
The old couple singing hymns to each other? That is not a distraction from the eventuality of death. It’s a true picture of the matrimonial and ageless love of Christ for all who receive him and the endless future of praise he gives them. That little girl coming home from chemo? That is hardly a glance away from the relentless forces of disease. Christ is bringing many children to glory, and those we think of as helpless are actually heaven’s conquering heroes who will come home to the cheers of saints and angels gathered to welcome them, and cast all their glory at their savior’s feet.
There is a mic drop of good news. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). And it makes everyday good news all the sweeter.
Oh, and watch this video. It’s great!
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