The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, by vanderKOK

May 14, 2006
Pastor Kok III's
Sunday Morning Message:
Reading the News Interactively:
How to Respond to
“The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly”
with Just the Good !


Good Morning! And Happy Mothers Day ! Yesterday I was in Palm Springs and the temperature was above 100 degrees.

This morning I'm back in Orange County right next to the Crystal Cathedral at 6:19 a.m. which is on the borderline of the city of Orange (not to be confused with Orange County itself) and the city of Garden Grove; and right next to Garden Grove and the City or Orange is Anaheim, home of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim and the Mighty Ducks, and, of course, Disneyland. Down the street from Anaheim is Buena Park, home of Knotts Berry Farm, where I worked for a summer during my first year of college.

What brought me to this part of the country? Originally, in 1984, when I was a senior in high school my dad moved here from West Michigan to take a position as Director of Pastoral Care at the Crystal Cathedral. Twenty-two years later he's still working for the Crystal Cathedral.

I don't work for the Crystal Cathedral (or maybe I should say, I'm not on their payroll) but I am a member (which requires, locally, spending five or six Sundays going through a process called “Discovery”--in which all the Cathedral pastors and various staff including some of the mental health staff, give a short presentation about the Cathedral and who they are, and where they came from (they mention the Reformed Church of America but don't mention the Dutch connection).

This move by my dad was a major event in my life and the life of West Michigan. For the previous fourteen years, from 1970 to 1984 my dad worked at Pine Rest as a CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) Supervisor. He had a small office and worked with mentally ill patients at the psychiatric hospital in Caledonia, Michigan (near Grand Rapids). He also wrote for the Christian Reformed magazine called “The Banner.” (For more about Jim see my previous e-mail message entitled “Happy Birthday to Jim” or if you are new to this weekly e-mail see my website www.mustardseedfaith.org. ).

Suddenly, by coming to the Crystal Cathedral, he became much more recognized. I remember the first time I walked into his office--what a change from Pine Rest. It was huge! And it was on the 10th floor from which you could see Anaheim Stadium (where the Angels play) and Disneyland, and on the other side of the floor (not from his office) you could see Catalina Island (on a clear day).

In the evening, from the 10th floor (which is actually the Pastoral Care Floor and Jim's Office is a church office used primarily by Jim, my dad, but also used by others, when needed) around 9:30 p m. you can see and hear the fireworks that Disneyland shoots off daily. If you're not up high enough you can only hear the fireworks.

When we first moved to California, Herman “Bud” Ridder and Bruce Larson were still on staff at the Cathedral. In fact, it was Bud Ridder who became interested in hiring my dad which ultimately led to my dad coming on board at the Cathedral. (And I will tell you more about my relationship with the Cathedral (or lack of) in coming weeks, but I just thought I would mention a little to you here and now).

From 1984 I began going back and forth from Southern California to Michigan--finishing high school in Michigan at Grand Rapids Christian High and then graduating from Calvin College in 1985 and going back for a teaching degree from 1992-94, and then back again for seminary (one year at Calvin Seminary from 1996-97, and then four more years at Fuller Seminary in Pasadena, CA from 1997-2001 or thereabouts).

During this time, among other things, I began reading the news in a new way. When I first arrived or returned to southern California in August 1997 (after two years of regular teaching at a high school in Coachella, CA) the only way you could contact me was by pager. I didn't even have a cell phone at the time (I had used one of those large, seemingly primitive now, Motorola cell phones when I was teaching in Coachella but had not kept using it when I went back to Michigan).

Not long after returning I purchased a new cell phone-- a little more modern (but still primitive compared to what I have now) and while I was going through seminary I managed to hear and later read the nightly news on my cell phone (which I preferred over watching TV news which I don't-since I don't watch TV and preferred over the radio because listening to radios means listening to advertisements, which I try not to do).

Later, with the cell phone I could call 1-800-555-8355 and hear periodic updates about what was happening in the world, as well as look up newspapers on the cell phone text news. This was nice because I could browse newspapers from around the country (and even some outside the USA) and see what was happening.

And I vowed not to read the news in a “lazy” way whereby I just glanced at it and thought to myself, “Oh no, more bad news” or “Another Random Act of Senseless Violence...” and go to sleep depressed about the state of the world. I vowed to record everything I read on my voice recorder and later type it out on my laptop computer.

Why? I wasn't sure. I just knew that there had to be a more “active” or “interactive” way to read the news and comprehend what was happening in the world. So every day or at the end of the week I would listen to my voice recorder and type what I had read (not always verbatim but sometimes my summary of what I read).

And all of this added up. I have little bits and pieces of the news from August, 1997 to the present, but I only put together April 11, 2005 through May 3, 2006 for today's message (which comes separately) .

And there is a lot of bad news out there--that's for sure. And the media does tend to focus on the bad, rather than the good, news. And that's part of my reason for including the attached “Three Years in the News: The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly”--by looking at this (even if you don't read it all word for word) you get a feel for what the media tells us--what gets reported--the good, the bad, and the ugly.

And unfortunately, most of what we hear is the “bad and the ugly” rather than the good. And although I say unfortunately I also have to tell you that we as Christians need to know what's going on--even if and when it is “bad and ugly.” The major difference for us as Christians is that we counteract the “bad and the ugly” with the Good !

That's what keeps our Spirit alive--the Holy Spirit within us is revived by our regular gathering to worship the Lord. And then we go back out into the world and deal with the “bad and the ugly” for the sake of Christ--and for those of you who understand the Reformed tradition--we remain “in but not of the world”.

This does not mean we retreat totally from the world like the Anabaptists. We want to be in the world--transforming it for the better, for the Kingdom of God, carrying the Sword of the Spirit ! We can make a difference.

And having said that--let's begin today with a Song of Hope.
Here's a song entitled “Heavenly Sunlight”

Song: http://newsongonline.org/nsomid/hymns/HEAVENLY.MID
Isn't that nice? And here's another called “Send the Light”

Song: http://newsongonline.org/nsomid/hymns/SENDLIGH.MID
And don't we need the Light of Jesus more than ever right now?

One more song to get the morning going, entitled “And Can it Be!”

Song: http://newsongonline.org/nsomid/hymns/ANDCANIT.MID

The answer is, yes it can be--we have hope despite tragedy and wickedness in this world. We have the ultimate Hope--we know that God will not allow us to fail. He is with us wherever we go. And if we die we know we are with Him. So we do not even have to fear death.

And with all the Bad News that I am attaching to this morning's message it is all the more important to keep hearing and telling the Good News. The bad news, regularly reported in the media, includes things that we would not normally want our children to hear. The Michael Jackson case, for example, was reported world wide in very graphic detail--even kids could hear it, see it, or read it. It was distasteful--and some of that is in the attached news this morning. You can gloss over it if you wish, but it's included for a reason--to highlight the Good News.

And there's a lot of other Bad News in the attached “Three Years in the News: the Good, the Bad, & the Ugly” There's an extremely disgusting story about a man in Germany who dismembers another man (at that man's request) and eats part of that man's body. This is something your children could have heard or read about. But it's not necessarily something you want your children reading. It's a very bothersome and upsetting story--and it's in there for a reason--to Highlight the Good News.

And we also get educated by the news and books and formal education. Not all of the information you find in “Three Years in the News: The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly” is bad or ugly. Some of it is interesting and informational. News about scientific developments, for example, is interesting and helpful. News about the space program is inspiring (most of the time, albeit I should tell you an interesting story about how I heard of the Columbia disaster sometime--via my cellphone news when I was at Fuller Seminary).

Other news--such as weather--all the hurricane news in recent years comes from the media. I heard about the tsunami over my cell phone news as I was driving through Iowa towards Michigan during the Christmas Break, 2004 (and later personally went to Thailand and responded with Bibles & water).

Did anybody care about the news and the world around them in the Bible? Let's find out. The morning Scripture comes from five different passages today. First, however, let's say an opening prayer.

Prayer: Dear God, please give me the words to say this morning. Inspire me with a meaningful message that edifies and instructs those who read it. Give me the discernment to say what is needed and to leave out that which is unnecessary. Hear our prayer oh Lord. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Scripture: Acts 17:22-23, Acts 17:28, 1 Tim 1:8-11, Rev 21.8, & Rev 22: 14-15

Then Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus and said, "Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you are very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of your worship, I even found an altar with this inscription:TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Acts 17:22-23

“For in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.' Acts 17:28

“ But we know that the law is good if one uses it lawfully, 9 knowing this: that the law is not made for a righteous person, but for the lawless and insubordinate, for the ungodly and for sinners, for the unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, 10 for fornicators, for sodomites, for kidnappers, for liars, for perjurers, and if there is any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine, 11 according to the glorious gospel of the blessed God which was committed to my trust. 1 Tim 1:8-11

But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers , sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death." Rev 21:8

Blessed are those who do His commandments, that they may have the right to the tree of life, and may enter through the gates into the city. 15 But outside are dogs and sorcerers and sexually immoral and murderers and idolaters, and whoever loves and practices a lie. Rev 22:14-15

In Acts 17 Paul makes reference to the “poets”
One commentary says this in regards to Paul's knowledge about the poets:

As certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring. This is the first half of the fifth line, word for word, of an astronomical poem of Aratus, a Greek countryman of the apostle's and his predecessor by about three centuries. It is found also (nearly as here) in a religious hymn of Cleanthes of Troas, a contemporary of Aratus. But, as our speaker hints, the same sentiment is to be found in other Greek poets. They meant it, doubtless, in a pantheistic sense; but the truth which it expresses the apostle turns to his own purpose-to teach a pure, personal, spiritual Theism. Probably during his quiet retreat at Tarsus (Acts 9:30), revolving his special vocation to the Gentiles, he gave himself to the study of so much Greek literature as might be turned to Christian account in his future work. Hence, this and his other quotations from the Greek poets
(1 Cor 15:33; Titus 1:12).
(from Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1997, 2003 by Biblesoft, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Paul knew about the poets of the people because he may have studied Greek literature. He knew what the people (the non-believers and even some of the partial believers) were thinking. He knew what was influencing them. This commentator thinks the Greek poet to whom Paul alludes was Pantheistic. What is “Pantheistic?” The word comes from “pan” meaning “all” and “Theos” meaning God--and means “all God” or that God can be found in everything.

Pantheism is not monotheism--which is what Christians practice. Pantheism is vague and somewhat unclear, but those who believe in pantheism may believe in more than one god or that god is everything or in everything--that you can worship a plant, for example, because god is part of that plant. It's sort of a “cover all” religion that seeks to include as much as possible “just in case.”

In fact, a few verses earlier , Paul makes reference to this “just in case” religion by pointing out as he walks through the Areopagus that they have an altar to the “unknown god.” The “men of Athens” wanted to make sure they didn't offend a god they didn't know, just in case that god existed somewhere.

My Sunday Morning Message today, however, is not intended to be about the dangers of pantheism but about being aware of the world around us and the philosophies and beliefs and current events that are constantly shaping things in contrast to how God wants us to live and see and believe.

Paul's awareness of the world around him and the poets is an example of such. He makes reference to that which the Men of Athens identified. He points out things visually (i.e. the altar to the unknown god). He is very much aware and educated about things. It makes him more poignant and perceptive. HE uses his knowledge to make a point to the Men of Athens that God is not “everything”--he is not gold or silver or not in the gold or silver and cannot be worshipped alongside the gold and silver. He is the One and Only God--a living God.

In the next Scripture passage from 1 Timothy 1: 8-11 we hear mention of “murderers, sodomites, kidnappers, liars, “ etc. And in the first passage from Revelations (21.8) the writer mentions the “sexually immoral” “unbelieving” , “cowardly”, “sorcerers”, “idolaters” (etc). The second passage from Revelations (22:14-15) mentions more of the same summed up as “whoever loves and practices a lie.”

What does this have to do with knowing what is happening in the world around us? And by the way, I am speaking to and about adult Christians. I don't think young children should be totally aware of all the bad things happening in the world around them. They should be sheltered from the filth even when it is reported by the media. And I think the media needs to be held accountable in such regards.

But for Christian adults we have a certain obligation to know what is going on around us. This does not mean we can know everything, but for too many Christians they think blocking the world out is the answer. This does not solve the problem and may, in fact, exacerbate it.

The Bad News highlights the Good News. It helps to know that there are extremely bad things happening in this world and not just in general, but sometimes very specifically. By understanding the specifics we can be more concrete and practical in response. The Bad News is all about the “sexually immoral” the “unbelieving” , the “cowardly” , the” idolaters”, et. al.

Read or browse my “Three Years in the News: The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly” and you will know what I am talking about. But then immediately turn to the Good News to remind yourself that God is in control.
And in 1 Timothy Paul uses the Bad News to highlight the Good News saying, humbly, in part, that “Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners — of whom I am the worst. “1 Tim 1:15

In Revelations, for example, shortly after mentioning the Bad News the writer mentions the Good News: Rev 21:10
And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and showed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, (Rev. 21.10)

Similarly in the second passage quoted from Revelations (22:14, 15) you find immediately after the mention of the Bad News, reference to the Good News:

"I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star. (Rev 22.16)

There's no shortage of bad news and it is not fun to read, But I do not recommend just blocking it out altogether. I recommend reading it interactively. Read it in a way that you can respond positively to it. IF you hear about a person in prison for murder, along with cursing the crime and the sin committed, how about sending a card or care package or Bible to the victim or victim's family? It's not impossible to find out where they live.

Or if you are more daring find a way to reach the offender--maybe through prayer, maybe sending a Bible to the prisoner, or maybe becoming involved in a prison ministry whereby you actually meet some of the “cowardly” and “immoral.” Or maybe you can start an organization that helps prevent that which you read about in the news.

How can you help prevent sexual immorality in society? How can you help prevent violence, murder, and rape? If you don't try will you be held accountable?

And how can you try if you do not know what is going on? How can you prevent the next mass murderer from developing? How can you prevent the next person who wants to kill and eat somebody's body from happening? And I don't mean necessarily becoming a police officer, although that's not out of the question (as long as you can be one of the good police officers).

I am talking about a spiritual level of engagement. Minds are shaped at young ages. How can you reach young minds? By becoming a teacher? Or a Sunday School teacher? Or working at a youth camp? But you can't become “jaded” and you can't do it just “for the money.”

You have to have principles and remain dedicated to those convictions.Or maybe you can send cards to people who have been injured or suffered loss or have been emotionally wounded in some way.

One of the saddest stories I read in my “Three Years in the News: the Good, the Bad, & the Ugly” was about a young girl who was dropped off for school by her mother (or relative, it was unclear) and the girl slammed the door shut but her jacket got stuck in the door unbeknownst to the driver who started to drive away. The girl was dragged to death unbeknownst to the driver until later, because her jacket remained caught in the door. Imagine the pain --not just the physical pain of the young girl who died which had to have been immense given she probably did not die right away but after being dragged for several miles, but talso he emotional pain of the person driving the car (maybe the mother) as well as other family members.

Is there any way to heal that pain? Not exactly but you can try to alleviate the pain. You can send a card to that person, pray for that person, maybe even visit that person--, or persons--speaking of the driver of the car and the family. Obviously it was unintended and the pain must be great.

Other times, there is an obvious offender and offended. Too often the criminal system or justice system discriminates against the victim and does not truly punish the offender. How can you help heal the victim or the loved ones of the victim?

Reading the World News can also help keep you aware of what is happening politically and you can become more involved in such regard that way as well. You can find out what your congressman is doing and write to them. You can get involved about issues that you believe are contrary to God's will.

You can participate in protests or even become involved politically yourself--become elected ! By reading the news you will know who is doing what (or not doing anything at all) and who stands for what, and so on and so forth.

And by reading enough news at an INTERACTIVE LEVEL you won't be so easily fooled as to what is happening in the world. By reading more than one account you can get a more complete perspective. And beyond just reading the news you can become more educated--go to college, or beyond.

The more you know and understand the more effective you will be FOR GOD! Reading the news at an INTERACTIVE LEVEL is just one example of becoming more aware, and responding with the Good News to the “Bad and the Ugly.”

Also by telling others your own personal history you can help them engage with you are a more personal and poignant level. I have been telling other people my “full story” for some time now--and keep repeating parts of it, because too often we get cut off at the waist so to speak, or cut off at the neck, so to speak. People want to categorize us because it is easier that way. And some people think they are being “honorable” by not telling their story but just “doing their jobs” But is that honorable?

One element of my life--which actually happened before I was born--were the early deaths of my two grandmothers. How does this effect me? Well, it effects me because it effected my mother and father.

My mom's mother, my late grandmother Helen Mills Peters died when my mom was in junior high. And she didn't just die of some illness but she commit suicide. Why is that important? And why must I tell people specifically that she commit suicide? Because the way a person dies has a tremendous effect psychologically and socially on those around him or her.

The way I treat my own mother is effected by knowing her own social and developmental history, even though she would probably rather not have people know about her mother committing suicide. She doesn't want people to feel sorry for her. But I'm not talking about feeling sorry for my mom--I'm talking about showing compassion. There's a big difference. Call it empathy or what Professor Augsberger at Fuller Seminary calls “interpathy”.

And on my dad's side--my grandmother Kathryn Schaap Kok died when he was in junior high--in a less tragic manner but nonetheless still a deep loss for my dad and his family. And how I treat my dad today is made more effective by knowing his social and developmental history, including the details of his mother's death, which had a significant impact on him developmentally and socially. Sure you could say "Everybody's mother dies sooner or later" but is that compassionate? Don't feel sorry for him--show empathy or interpathy as it relates to his development historically and socially.

And I could go on and on with examples of the importance of learning more about those around you so that you can be responsive “post” tragedy (i.e. after the incident or development) but also so that you can be responsive “pre” tragedy (i.e. working to prevent tragedies from happening).

A lot of “evangelism” is preventative medicine--when you go out there and witness to people--reminding them of the love of God and Jesus Christ our Savior we can instill hope in others which works to prevent a breakdown in society.

People break down when they get a feeling that nobody cares and that society is all about economics and exchange of dollars and cents and has no real ultimate purpose. When that feeling becomes entrenched at a deep enough level some people “cave” and are no longer sensitive to themselves or others--which leads to some of these horrific crimes that we read about. You can also evangelize after the negative or upsetting incident occurs--this often comes from the church in the form of “pastoral care.” That's important too. Either way you need to be aware of the world around you, as well as the part of the Body of Christ with which you are involved.

Let's sing another song: http://newsongonline.org/nsomid/hymns/RESCUE.MID

And that's what we are all about as Christians--Rescuing those who are Perishing--whether it be preventative or “post op” so to speak. You don't have to be a trained or educated pastor who went to seminary to become involved in such regards. And when we have done all we can do--having done our “Utmost for His Highest” we can take a short break:

Song: http://newsongonline.org/nsomid/hymns/BreakForthIntoJoy.mid

And we break forth in joy, temporarily, having fought another battle, whether or not victorious we know we will win the “war” if we hang in there, trusting in the Holy Spirit to carry us through thick and thin. We stand upon the promises of God.
And thank you for listening my friends. It's been a blessing to bring another message to you and I hope it is meaningful and instructive to you. God bless you all.

Prayer: Dear Lord, Thank you for Your Presence here this morning. Thank You for Your Greatness and Your Graciousness. We thank You for the Promises You have given to us--that we may rely upon Your faithfulness to us despite our occassional unfaithfulness to You. And give us the strength to never stop striving to do our VERY BEST for You.

J.P. Kok
JOHN THE CHRISTIAN EVANGELIST FOR CHRIST