This familiar phrase is used when a major news event fills the media. Other ‘bad news’ (usually of a political kind) is released simultaneously. The bad news is thus overshadowed and able to pass by relatively easily, with much less attention than had it been released at another time: a clever way for politicians to side-step criticism.

There is plenty of bad news in our world today. The worrying tremors caused by elections of new governments…the threat of North Korea…the endless horrors of the wars in Syria…the murders on the streets of our cities (whether from terrorism, knife crimes or from nerve gas)…the worrying signs from Russia…the divisions and challenges of Brexit…

We could all make our own extensive lists of the bad news that is escalating in our world. If we invited our readers to compile and submit their own lists of concerns we might be inundated! It is so very easy to dwell on the bad news.

But, stop for a moment. What week are we in? We are about to celebrate Passover and Easter. What we will be remembering is the Good News - the Gospel of our salvation through the merciful sacrifice of our Saviour Jesus the Messiah (Yeshua HaMashiach).

This is, therefore, a week to celebrate the eternal good news, to emphasise all the wonderful provisions that our God has stored up in Heaven for our eternal future – and surely it is not long before the Lord returns.

Right up until the time of His coming there will be layer upon layer of bad news to cope with. But, with a twist in the meaning of the phrase, this week and especially the days when we remember our Lord’s sacrifice (Good Friday) and His resurrection (the following Sunday) it is certainly a ‘good day to bury bad news’ and concentrate entirely on the Good News.

Let us indeed look upwards this week with faith, thankfulness and hope in our soon-coming Messiah: an event that will put into the shade all the bad news of this world from Adam to the present day, and beyond.

Author: Clifford Denton