Memorial of Saint Ambrose, Bishop and Doctor of the Church

 Lectionary: 182

Go up onto a high mountain,
        Zion, herald of glad tidings;
    Cry out at the top of your voice,
        Jerusalem, herald of good news!
    Fear not to cry out
        and say to the cities of Judah:
        Here is your God!

A Veteran told me of his addiction to "the news." The story followed the familiar course of other addictions. Simple curiosity and mild excitement became all consuming after 9/11 when he was completely absorbed by the horror of those incidents. He watched the videos repeatedly as they were replayed thousands of times each day, and then eagerly read the reports of who, what, when, why and where; plus many speculations, rumors, and false reports. He lost sleep as he watched the TV night and day; his work, social, and family life suffered. He became tiresome to people around him; and, ironically, he knew less of the story than many people since he preferred the exciting videos and false alarms to written reports and serious analysis. Predictably the news addiction led him back into alcoholism and drug abuse. 

I see a lot of this news addiction in the VA hospital, where nurses routinely turn the patients' televisions on. At least one fellow could not turn away from the silent screen even when I pushed the Blessed Sacrament in front of his eyes and said, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world!" I usually turn the device off when a Veteran indicates a willingness to speak to me. 

I suggested to the other chaplains that the hospital should ban CNN, Fox, and other 24/7 news channels from the in-house circuits. When I was reminded that the Veterans want to watch that stuff, I rejoined, "They want to smoke too, and we won't let them!" I don't suppose the proposal will get anywhere, but I am serious about it. The news is killing our Veterans; it's causing anxiety, sleeplessness, relational disruption, irritability, and family violence. 

Like a voice in the wilderness, I sometimes remind news junkies that there are people who decide what news they will broadcast, and that all these stories are used only for selling consumer goods to unwary saps. These powerful controllers don't care what the news means or about its impact. It's only titillating entertainment, exciting and addictive and harmful!

Comfort, give comfort to my people,

        says your God.

    Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and proclaim to her

        that her service is at an end,

        her guilt is expiated;

    Indeed, she has received from the hand of the LORD

        double for all her sins.

 Saint Paul mused upon the mystery of hearing the Gospel in his Letter to the Romans:

But how can they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone to preach? And how can people preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring [the] good news! But not everyone has heeded the good news; for Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what was heard from us?” Thus faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the word of Christ. But I ask, did they not hear? Certainly they did; for

“Their voice has gone forth to all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world.”

God's word of comfort is in our midst, we have only to hear it and over the cacophony of news. 

Turn it off for a while. 

Hear the Silence. 

Hear the Lord. 

Hear his comforting word. 

Be healed. 

Be Saved.