A recent study published by the Psychology Department at the University of Essex looked at the negative emotional and cognitive effect of hearing bad news only. Here is the opening statement from the study. Journalists employing the maxim “if it bleeds, it leads” seem intuitively aware of the negativity bias people have in attending to and remembering bad events over good ones. Indeed, negatively valenced news dominates the press and is shared on Twitter more frequently than positively valenced news journals.plos.org The study went on to note that “news featuring others’ immorality captivates people, it can have aversive affective and cognitive impacts, increasing emotional disturbances and negatively skewing people’s belief in the goodness of others”. I think we have witnessed that increasing and divisive effect on our culture. The authors are correct that such reporting of bad news “captivates” and leads to lots of unhealthy biting on the clickbait of negativity. The study examined an interesting counterbalance. Would showing acts
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One of my peers recently noted that “getting old is not for sissies”. Indeed. Even if you escape personal difficulties you will undoubtedly have family and friends who are going through physical, emotional and spiritual trials. One of the songs that I default to when I am walking through valleys with others is from singer/composer Rich Mullins. The song is from his CD called Songs and it is simply titled “Hold Me Jesus”. Well, sometimes my lifeJust don’t make sense at allWhen the mountains look so bigAnd my faith just seems so small Right now I am in a pretty good place in my life and journey with Jesus. But then I started thinking about the many friends and loved ones who could relate completely to those lyrics in their current situation. And I can certainly remember seasons of my life when those words accurately reflected the condition of my soul. And I wake up in the night and feel the darkIt’s so hot inside my
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Let me begin with complete transparency. I am saddened, frustrated, and disappointed with the anger and division in our society. Focusing on those divisive issues leads to anger, fear, and hopelessness. So how can I be optimistic amidst this societal chaos? When I am feeling down I often go to my spiritual comfort music. I flipped from more depressing news to a list of classic Gospel songs. The first tune to cue up gave me my answer. I am and will continue to be optimistic in this journey because of this belief conveyed beautifully in these lyrics sung by Nicole C. Mullen. Because He lives, I can face tomorrow. That’s it! Because I believe Jesus lives I can face tomorrow. The next lyric should be true if I truly believe Jesus lives. Because He lives, All fear is gone. I am not saying that the enemy does not try to generate fear in my heart and I am not perfect in
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A few years ago my nephew’s daughter asked my advice about navigating the emotional ups and downs of the high school years. Here is what I told her. 1. I wish I had known that my high school years did not define me for life My teen years were a mixed bag of memorable highs and incredible lows. Now I realize that I am grateful for what I once considered some of the difficult moments of my life. In many of those spiritual valleys you could not have begun to convince me that God was molding me or that those experiences could ever be of value. Had I been the coolest guy or the best athlete I most likely would not have developed a sensitive spirit to others. With the benefit of hindsight I can promise you that I am grateful for every refining difficulty and problem. High school did not define who I would become and it does not define you either. 2. I wish
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Time Magazine decided to try and rank the most important historical figures by aggregating millions of traces of opinions into a computational data-centric analysis. Their researchers ranked historical figures just as Google ranks web pages, by integrating a diverse set of measurements about their reputation into a single consensus value. Number one on the list was Jesus Christ. I am fascinated by the impact of this man. From the time Jesus began His three-year ministry He never had an office. One person tagging along with the Nazarene asked if they could join the group. Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.” (Luke 9:58) Songwriter Rich Mullins wrote that “the hope of the whole world rests on the shoulders of a homeless man”. Jesus came from modest means. He lived on the wrong side of the culturally acceptable tracks in the town of
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As I celebrated birthday number 70 last week a song fired up from Kenny Chesney. In the lyrics an interviewer asks a man celebrating his one hundred and second birthday about his secret to life. His response? Don’t blink He talks about how life seems to be a blink from childhood to reaching the century mark. I’m still a ways from the century mark though my shoulder feels that old this morning. It seems like just yesterday that I was playing sandlot baseball as a kid. Moments ago I was in high school being Attention Deficit before ADD was cool. Just yesterday I met the stunning Joni Banks and somehow talked her into dating me. Wasn’t it just weeks ago that three adorable baby boys came into our lives? Don’t blink. Married almost 47 years. Five decades of directing live TV sporting events. Seven grandchildren. Are you kidding me? I have had, if I may borrow the franchise of Frank Capra,
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There is much written about Good Friday. The sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the Cross is incomprehensible to my puny human intellect. There is much written about Easter Sunday. Christians around the world rejoice and proclaim that “He is risen!”. But there is not nearly as much written about one of the saddest and most confusing days in history. The Saturday between the Friday horror of Jesus on the Cross and the Sunday mystery of the resurrection. Some churches do observe Holy Saturday but it was never a tradition in my faith upbringing. I have been thinking about what that day must have been like for those who dropped everything to follow Jesus. How crushing those events had to be. I imagine the fear they felt that they would also be killed. And for what? On Saturday they feared they had given their careers and their very souls for a false hope. I think in particular of Peter. I identify
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