Special Video: The Greatest “News” … Every Day-The Intro

Hi Friends:

This is unusual … even for me …
I think this is the first time I’ve ever taken an Intro to a video into two parts …
But, I will be obedient …

I “carry” a pretty large “to post later” list of songs, messages, quotes, etc., which I store “for later use,” as I always seem to be in the middle of a series, or something I feel led to share “right now.” Often, this means that a special post has to wait until, well … later. Sometimes … much later …

I’d like to share with you a video which someone sent me, late last year.
OK …. I must confess … it was an attachment to an email, which a friend of mine sent me … what is now several months ago …
I just opened it a few days ago …

I think of a commercial I shared with you, a few months ago, which was popular several, several months before that, yet I was seeing it for the first time, and it touched me deeply.

Here’s another video, which many of you may have seen already, but … like me, perhaps many of you have not seen … which, in my way of thinking, qualifies it as a “new” video.

I think that Christmas has past, Easter is just ahead … but, I think the same as I always think about “Christmas” songs or “Easter” songs, etc. As Christians, we really celebrate “Christmas” and “Easter” every day. Think about it. We have reason … good reason … to celebrate what makes these two “holidays” important … every day … Because it is every day of our lives that we reap the benefits of what these two days represent …

The word “news” strikes a chord in all of us (did you catch that “music” reference?) as we watch and listen to what is going on around the world, especially this week. I think that, here I am, in the middle of a series on terrorism, especially Islamic Extremist Terrorism, and, like you … I turned on the news on Monday …

I think of a song by Anne Murray I used to play, in the old radio days, about someone turning on the News, listening to “Bryant Gumbel squawking about the fighting in Lebanon …”
The chorus, main idea, and, I think, the title of that song was something like:

“We sure could use
A little good news
today.”

I am doing this completely from memory, but I think that is close.

I think of a song which Carol and I used to sing in Church, a song I’m sure you know:
“Good Old Gospel Ship.”

I vividly remember, as it comes to me right now, listening to Public Radio, as I took the long drive home from work, back in Connecticut. Please note that this was right after “9-11.”
It was the afternoon “Drive” show, and they were interviewing a singer from Canada. I’m sorry … working strictly from memory now … they were interviewing a popular singer from Canada (in reference to above, it was not Anne Murray) … the question was about how popular this song was, which this singer used to open her show … she was not a “Gospel” singer, but she would step onto the stage singing a Gospel Song … the question was about why she thought this introductory song struck such a “chord” (there’s that reference again) with her audience … just the video of her singing this song had become a huge hit …

The question was, again, “Why?”
I’ll never forget her answer. She admitted that, no, she was not a Gospel singer. Yet, she understood the profound effect this particular song had on her audience.
The question came again:
“Why?”
The singer then spoke the first words to the song:
“I have good news to bring …”

That was why!
As she explained, with everything that was going on in the world, fresh from the Terrorist Attacks, how everyone felt vulnerable … even scared … even frightened …
Friends … this was in the Fall of 2001 … 15 years ago …
I remember this conversation so vividly … With all going on in the world …
When she came out on stage, proclaiming, “I have good news to bring …”

She was facing an audience that, “with everything that was going on in the world, fresh from the Terrorist Attacks, how everyone felt vulnerable … even scared … even frightened …”
Here she comes out, with the announcement that “I have good news to bring …”
This was an announcement … a proclamation … that there is “good news” to be heard …
That, she, in fact, was the bearer of this “good news” …
She had the audience spellbound from the start …

An audience … hungry … yearning … for “good news” …

That was 15 years ago, and certainly we’ve learned …certainly something like this could never happen again … I mean, think about the world 15 years ago …
How we needed “good news,” especially “with everything that was going on in the world, fresh from the Terrorist Attacks, how everyone felt vulnerable … even scared … even frightened …”
Here she comes out, with the announcement that “I have good news to bring …” This was an announcement … a proclamation … that there is “good news” to be heard …

I think of another song, which goes something like,
“If we ever needed the Lord my friends … we sure do need Him now …”

You are right:
If the world ever needed the “Good News” we bring … they sure do need it now.
Ever wondered “Why” you are alive right now … Why you were born when you were?
Ever wondered “Why” you are here …

Just turn on the news …
And, remember the announcement … the proclamation … even the example you were sent to make … for “such a time as this.”
Think of the “good news” you have.
Think about those who … right now … may just be willing to listen …

Blessings,
Richard. Vincent. Rose.