In the past 12 months we have faced a threat of nuclear war, discovered sex scandals that have felled powerful men from Hollywood to Washington, D.C., seen a Donald Trump presidency that has driven many on the left, some on the right and most of the main stream media to declare we are approaching Armageddon, witnessed an increase of mass shootings and terrorist attacks, endured an out of control opioid epidemic, unprecedented wildfires that burned an astounding 9,791,062 acres in California, and a hurricane season like no other. Without a doubt the past year was filled with fear, chaos, tragedy, and sorrow for many. We have plenty of reasons to be praying and doing all we can to alleviate the suffering.
Certainly, there was cause for grief about our world in 2017…but not for pessimism…especially for Christians. So instead of dwelling on all the negative news of 2017 ( you can get on the internet, turn on any news channel or read any secular newspaper for that) we are dedicating our first issue of the new year to the stories that gave Christians hope, reasons to celebrate and a renewed energy to face the challenges of the coming year.
Despite the fact that nine out of ten Americans say worldwide poverty is holding steady or worsening, the percentage of people on this planet who live in what the United Nation’s defines as “extreme poverty”—has fallen below ten percent, which is the lowest it’s ever been. The scourge of child mortality is also at a record low. Fifty percent fewer children under five die today than did thirty years ago. Worldwide, 300,000 more people gain access to electricity every day. In 1900, global life expectancy was just 31 years. Today, it’s an impressive 71 years. And violent crime rates in the United States are the lowest they’ve been in half a century.
So why do so many Americans think the world as a whole is not becoming a better place and that President Trump is destroying the United States? Much of the blame falls on a liberal media that hates Donald Trump. Thanks to a 24-hour news cycle that actively seeks out and overplays the worst stories, our perception of the world and our president has been skewed. But a great deal of the blame for our unjustifiably gloomy view of the world also falls on our shoulders. Quite simply, we often enjoy being angry about the state of our nation and the world, especially when it allows us to blame someone else. We are addicted to news-induced anger.
That’s why it’s so important—while acknowledging the evil and suffering around us—to appreciate the good news, the progress, and the things we have to celebrate. In 2017, we saw through struggle and tragedy, people pulling together to love and support one another in times of need. We saw trial, tragedy and the depravity of human nature coming out, but through it all we saw God’s hand of providence guiding us from darkness toward His light. Yes, 2017 was a challenge, but there were a tremendous number of good things that got overlooked in our haste to find the worst in everything. Wouldn’t we be better off, if instead of dwelling on the negative in 2018, we made an effort to find the good? That’s a biblical concept that we all should be following.
As Christians, we know where history is headed, and we know how the story ends—with the redemption and restoration of all things. We who have the good news should be the first to recognize all good news, not in spite of, but in the midst of the bad. Please take the time to read about all of the “good” that happened in 2017 and let it inspire you to have the best year ever in 2018.