On my way to Cherry Valley the other day, I was listening to National Public Radio. An economist was speaking about the plight of this year's college graduates and their chances of getting a job.
The gist of this discussion was that most graduates are doomed yet those without a college degree are even more doomed. I turned to a different radio station to hear another person talking about the downward spiral of our nation. I finally turned off the radio. I found myself overwhelmed by the state of the world today.
I thought to myself, "no news is good news." I realized you can look at that truism in two ways. "No news," meaning avoiding listening to what passes as news today, is good news; ignorance can be bliss! You can also understand it as meaning that none of the news today tends to emphasize only the bad. Television and radio news tends to keep us in a constant state of anxiety. Finally, I hit on the thought that "good news" is the meaning of the word "gospel."
In the gospel of John, Jesus says, "I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly." God has come into the world, not so that we may have life, but that we may have an abundant life. It is not that we are given "enough," we are given more than enough.
In 23 Psalm, the Good Shepherd offers us a cup that is full to running over. It is our trust in a trustworthy God that enables us to see and experience life abundantly. This is one of the points where our faith and our culture clash. Stephen R. Covey writes about a Scarcity Mentality in his book, "The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People." People with a Scarcity Mentality "see life as having only so much, as though there were only one pie out there. And if someone were to get a big piece of the pie, it would mean less for everybody else." In many ways our culture tries to convince us that life consists of acquiring things: big homes, new cars, the latest i-whatevers.
Seeing life as an abundant gift from God requires us to evaluate our priorities. What is really important in life? Is my life defined by the things I own or by my relationship with other people and with God?
Recognizing the gift of abundant life also requires an attitude of gratitude. Am I thankful for what I have, or am I resentful for what I don't have? Gratitude for what we have opens us to seeing the abundant life God has given us.
Experiencing God's abundant life calls for openness to the miraculous in my life. Someone once said, "Christianity is the community of miraculous expectation." If I am open to experiencing the miraculous in my life, I find it. These three attitudes are the path to recognizing the gifts God gives us in our lives.
I don't listen to the news as much as I did before. I've decided I can work toward making the world a better place by recognizing I have a life of abundance: I have a great family and loving friends. I am aware of a loving God's presence in my life. I share my abundance with those in need in whatever ways I can. As for the news: "no news IS good news."
Grennen is pastor at St. Mary's Church in Springfield Center and Grace Church in Cherry Valley.
Columns
No news is good news, but good news is the word of the gospel
- Big Chuck D'Imperio
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Safety Patrol D.C. visits never get old
I asked Cam Morris, head of Eastern Travel/Oneonta Bus Lines, how many years her company has been handling the Safety Patrol trip to Washington, D.C.
Continued ... - My pal Brucie, savior of Sidney's hospital
- Catching a whiff of 'Vermont Vapor'
- Selections from the virtual mailbag
- Recalling days of 'Doughnut King'
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Safety Patrol D.C. visits never get old
- Cary Brunswick
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We've become our own worst enemies
The past month has been marked by a seeming unprecedented number of man-made tragedies, as distinct from those caused by violent outbursts of the natural world, such as earthquakes, hurricanes and tsunamis.
Continued ... - Plenty of blame to go around for Bangladesh horror
- Obama is going against his word on Social Security
- Reflecting on a Florida trip
- Those magnificent spies in their flying machines
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We've become our own worst enemies
- Chuck Pinkey
- Guest Column
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Records seizure is an insult to free press
Distrust of government secrecy has been elevated to an exceptional level with the disclosure the Justice Department covertly examined two months of Associated Press phone records to determine who leaked details to the AP about a foiled terrorist plot.
Continued ... - The evangelical view of same-sex marriage
- Manor's fate will be Otsego board's legacy
- A closer look at our economy - Part II
- Use fracking to fill budget gaps
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Records seizure is an insult to free press
- Lisa Miller
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A view from above
Fire towers in the Catskill Mountains have always been destination points, built to capture some of the region’s best views. These sentinel stations served an important role for the earliest possible sightings of forest fires in the remote mountain ranges. But the fire towers and those who manned them fulfilled a multitude of other roles as well.
Continued ... - Being a parent is a constant learning process
- Healthy doesn't have to mean expensive
- A family era ends with close of Potter series
- Independent stores make up for loss of Borders
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- Mark Simonson
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General Clinton Canoe Regatta got a new home in 1972
Ever since 1963, when Charles Hinkley and a group of Tri-Town businessmen came up with the idea for what we know today as the General Clinton Canoe Regatta, people lined the shores of the Susquehanna to watch the canoeists as they made their 70-mile trek from Cooperstown to Bainbridge.
Continued ... - Sunday movies in Oneonta finally shown in 1934
- Politics, fitness and landmarks dominated local news in May 1968
- Local people sought income in many ways in 1933
- Local windstorm in 1983 caused tense moments
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- Rick Brockway
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Kids have sparkle in their eyes
When I was in my teens, old Bill Naatz told me about a stream north of Lake George where a man had panned out enough gold to make his wife a wedding band. It was all rumors, but to his grandson and myself, it sounded like the makings of a great adventure.
- People make the outdoors even better
- Turkey season has ups and downs
- Spring air isn't always the freshest
- Adriondacks keep growing and growing
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Kids have sparkle in their eyes
- Sam Pollak
- William Masters
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Schreibman tops Chris Gibson on women's issues
As the time to vote draws near, we need to remember how money can run politics more than we can. Raising funds is a prominent (if not the dominant) task of getting elected. Raising issues is also crucial, but those efforts are subject to distortion and fear-mongering.
- Republicans feelentitled to allthey can garner An entitlement is a legal benefit available from the government to individuals who are within a defined category of recipients, such as needing insurance for unemployment or health services.
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Romney focuses on self; Obama emphasizes unity
Mitt Romney criticizes President Obama for saying a person's success is rooted in his community, and is not all his alone. Romney belittles this with his belief in individual initiative. He is better at the put-down than the push-up.
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Romney shows little regard for common man
The Republicans in Congress have voted over and over, 33 times, redundantly and uselessly, to rescind what they call Obamacare.
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Scouts' gay ban creates problem where none exists
The Boy Scouts of America's "emphatic reaffirmation" of its vow to exclude any and all homosexuals from its hallowed ranks is ill-considered and pathetic, especially in view of its having reviewed the matter for two years.
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Schreibman tops Chris Gibson on women's issues
