Sunday, February 27, 2005

Positive Coverage of Pastor's Work in Sri Lanka Worth a Listen

The mainstream media, sometimes referred to by bloggers euphemistically as the MSM, is often accused of being biased against Christian faith. Probably some elements of the mainstream media are biased against Christians. You see this especially in the standard Hollywood portrayals of people of faith as judgmental hypocrites or intellectual buffoons.

My observation of most news outlets' coverage of the Church and of Christians is that "they don't get it," usually failing to understand what Christians are saying or believe.

In part, this is attributable to we Christians: We act as though we still live in "Christendom," rather than the post-Christian West in which we, in fact, live. It's important that we find ways, as did the early Church, of communicating the truth about God, the hope of Christ, and the things that we believe, that connect with the people of this time. Too often we're like arrogant speakers of a language who refuse to translate our secret code for the benefit of others.

This morning, while I was getting ready for Sunday School and worship, I listened, as I usually do, to NPR's Weekend Edition.

They carried an enjoyable profile of an American pastor working as a missionary in a village of Sri Lanka. It described the changed opinions of the villagers since the tsunami of December 26, 2004. At first, he said the villagers were hostile to him and the message of Christ. But since the tsunami, with his church offering medical help and other sorts of aid to those truly hurt by the tsunami, no matter what their religious beliefs, he's experienced greater acceptance. It was just a cool, feel-good story. Take a listen.

You might want to send NPR an email, commending them for their balanced, fair-minded profile of this pastor sharing God's love in tough circumstances.

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