I’ve been watching a new weekly news network during this pandemic – a little YouTube series by The Office TV star John Krasinski called “Some Good News”. I’ll attach the link to it below. I hope you’ll watch it! It’s a little 15-minute dose of positivity and humor amidst this odd time.
And hey, if you define the word gospel to mean “good news” (which it does), then some good news translates to “some gospel”, and where better place to find that than in the scriptures! So there – John Krasinski + scriptures = enough good news to get you through anything :)
Good news is more vital in our lives than I think we realize. We are creatures of hope. I believe that we function off of it. It’s our lifeblood, our motivation, the reason we get up in the morning. Without something to look forward to, our life is meaningless. Even in our darkest hour I think we have something to look forward to. We are programmed by nature to know that the sun rises even after the longest, coldest night. It’s part of the cycle of nature, and thus we believe it to be part of the cycle of our lives.
That hope – that yearning for “good news” – is the driving force that has created all good things in the history of the world. Every revolution against tyranny and evil is based on the hope that there’s light at the end. Within every heroic act of rescue or sacrifice is embedded the idea that you’re doing the right thing – and in doing so, everyone, including yourself, is better off.
We naturally hunger for good news. And when we can’t find it, we make it. That is what keeps the world running.
Hope is simply a part of who we are as people. It’s some sort of innate, deep-down feeling that things will be better. Sometimes it is very prevalent and easily accessible, such as when you’re laughing with family and friends, but sometimes it’s almost impossible to find, such as when death, poverty, or pandemics knock at your door. Yet, we as people always find it.
My family and I just finished watching The Hunger Games series. It’s quite moving how the rebels, especially Katniss, go through so much yet keep going. What they go through is sickening, yet they keep going. How? Why? President Snow, the villain, says it himself: “Hope is stronger than fear”. If that is true, then I am confident that hope is the strongest force in the unverse.
John Groberg, in one of my favorite BYU addresses, said this:
“No matter what price we have to pay, or how long we must suffer, there is always hope. No matter how deep the wound, how dark the night, keep up hope. It is worth it. There is always hope!”
How lucky we are that there is always hope! I don’t think any of us can fully imagine a world without hope – a world in which the sun does not rise after the long night. That is unfathomable, for even in the darkest of times, hope cannot be fully squandered.
We know this is so for one reason – Jesus Christ.
John Groberg also said: “No matter what people try to say, it’s always there – that hope within us. It just depends on how brightly we allow it to shine in our life. The degree of “shining” (or the strength) of this hope that is in all of us is in direct proportion to our faith in God and particularly to our faith in (belief in, love of, hope in, etc.) Jesus Christ. Specifically then, the basis of all righteous hope is the person of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In him all hope has its existence. Without him there is no hope. But because he was and is and ever will be, there is always hope – hope in all areas. He is hope.”
Knowledge of Jesus Christ provides ultimate hope. All means of ridding darkness from our lives eventually fail – Ben and Jerry’s ice cream and Netflix have their limits. Jesus Christ is only source of everlasting, infinitely powerful hope. Knowledge of Him provides that hope in our lives, and it will increase proportionately to our study and emulation of Him.
Yet, let me discuss one more reason why Christ is essential.
Knowledge and hope, while all-powerful, cannot fix everything. While knowing the sun will rise is essential and life-giving, it does not rid us of the cold and darkness immediately surrounding us – if we know dawn is coming in an hour, we still have an hour of darkness to endure. Sometimes that is simply too much for us to bear. We all have a breaking point, and sometimes that point will come before the dawn.
I’m sure all of us have felt both major and minor breaking points amidst this pandemic. Whether it’s in strained relationships with family, job loss and fear of the economy, or just pure boredom, they can make us feel like we can’t go on. We are all running a race here. We know the finish line will come, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t exhausted right now. We’re thirsty, hungry, cramping, and possibly feeling like quitting. Our hope that this will end might be strong, but that doesn’t mean we aren’t tired now.
We might know that things WILL be alright at some future time, but sometimes we need to feel alright RIGHT NOW.
Thank goodness God planned for this very thing.
Jesus Christ promised: “Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.” (John 14:27)
PEACE. Not only do we need hope, but we need peace! We need to feel alright – not only know that things will be alright, but that we are alright now. We need that blanket during the cold night, that drink of water during the race. We need that good news NOW!
I’m not saying that we need to be held and consoled during every moment of every trial – well, for some maybe we do. What I’m saying is that a little tender mercy goes a long way. A little assurance can do much to keep us going. A hug, a compliment, an answered prayer – these little peace-giving acts are often just as important as the knowledge of the sun’s rising itself.
Not only do we need to know that Christ is risen, but we need to feel His power NOW in our lives!
And that is the glory of a gospel that is both immediate and eternal – a gospel that makes the future possible and the present bearable. It is a gospel centered on a Savior that gives us knowledge that things will be okay and that they’re okay now, even if they aren’t, but His peace makes it okay.
Nowhere do I see this better demonstrated than in the story of the raising of Lazarus from the dead. Christ came days after Lazarus had passed, which meant that the friends and family of Lazarus had had days to mourn. Even if the people knew that Christ would come and help, that still does not fully immunize them from the shock of Lazarus’ passing. They were heartbroken. And what was Christ’s reaction?
He wept.
Literally: “Jesus wept” (John 11:35)
Christ knew better than anyone that things would be okay – He being the source of hope, He knew that Lazarus would live again. Yet he understood how hard the situation was on Mary and Martha. And He wept for and with them. He knew things would be alright, but in that moment, things were NOT alright – their friend and brother was dead. Jesus wept with them during their hard time and then used His power to make things alright again.
Hope and peace – the two blessings Christ offers us. Hope that things will be alright soon, and peace when things are not alright now. The beauty is that, when both are had together, even when things are not alright, we FEEL alright. The world can be burning all around us, but when we have Christ with us, His peace and hope provide a shield which blocks out all evil and preserves good feelings within.
How can anyone survive without Christ?
Let us all rely on Him to get through this hard time! Let us remember that things will be better, and also know that we can be better now if we take time to strengthen our relationship to Him. Study Him. Emulate Him. As we do, we’ll be happier, stronger, and better.
We will have peace.
Adam Simpson
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