The Sunday Sermonette – There’s Good News Tonight!
The first years of World War II went badly for the Allies. London was decimated by the Blitz. Singapore and the Philippines fell to the Japanese. One by one, European countries were crushed by the Nazi onslaught. And America was attacked at Pearl Harbor. The war’s death toll grew. The days looked dark.
Young men all over America volunteered to fight, though, because being drafted was considered almost a disgrace. “There was a war on, and the country was in danger,” stated a July 6, 1942, article in LIFE magazine. I have a copy of that edition. I purchased it many years ago and gave it to my dear mother for her birthday. She was thrilled. Why? D’Lo was mentioned, which made her proud to call that “deep southern hamlet” home.
With its glowing words, the article in LIFE magazine celebrated the sacrifice of the D’Lo community. From a town with a population of about 400, 61 individuals volunteered to fight. Their selfless act of service was a beacon of hope. My dear father was one of those who volunteered and thankfully survived. By war’s end, that volunteer number rose to 150, a testament to the strength and unity of D’Lo. Eight D’Lo residents who fought in World War II were killed in action, but their sacrifice was not in vain.
When I gave Mom the magazine, I asked her, as a 16-year-old, how the war affected her. She said it all seemed so far away…Europe…Japan…the war. But as D’Lo boys were being killed and funerals began, she stated that’s when the war came knocking at the front door of Granny’s little house in D’Lo. Many a night, Granny, Mom, and her brother, Ellis, would gather around the family Philco to listen to the news.
Mom said one of her most memorable wartime memories was Gabriel Heatter’s rich, baritone voice. He began each broadcast with his catchphrase, “There’s good news tonight!” This phrase, amid war and despair, exuded hope in a hopeless world. It earned him a reputation for optimism that was rare in his field and appreciated by audiences listening to WOR out of New York.
In today’s world, cascading weather disasters, fears of war, and polarized politics are helping to destabilize it. Along with food insecurity, mental health issues, declining freedom of the press, and mounting debt crises, we seem to be fighting another war—a self-inflicted war of division, neglect, and greed. Sometimes, I wish I could turn on the “wireless,” and a rich, baritone voice would say, “There’s good news tonight!”
The prophet Isaiah had news to tell, but it was not always good news. He was sent by Father God to call the nation of Judah away from their wicked, evil ways and back to Him. Isaiah’s news was scathing in its condemnations and pronouncements, but it also carried a message of comfort and hope. This message, from a God who desires His children to live according to His commandments, is as relevant today as it was in Isaiah’s time.
It is easy to lose hope in the chaos of the world. But when we fix our thoughts on Father God, we can find a sense of peace that surpasses all understanding. In the days to come, let us focus on God’s Word and its stabilizing guidance.
Strengthened by Father God’s unchanging love and His mighty power, we can stand firm, unshaken by the surrounding chaos of today’s world. Our faith is our anchor in the storm, our beacon of hope in the darkness.
Do you want peace in a world erupting in discord? Please keep your thoughts on Father God and trust Him and Jesus. “Trust in the Lord always, for the Lord God is the eternal Rock… Yet we have this assurance: Those who belong to God will live; their bodies will rise again! Those who sleep in the earth will rise up and sing for joy!”
And because of this assurance, “There’s good news tonight!” And tomorrow! And forever!
Ponder this and go forth.