When a stone hits calm water, ripples spread out from the center of impact, telling the further reaches of the lake what has happened. They say news, good or bad, travels fast. The news begins as a single source, but as the ripples spread further, the news is regenerated and energized to reach even greater heights.
Americans value free speech. Well, we value free speech when we’re the ones speaking. It’s a little more challenging to value free speech when someone says something with which we disagree or that we think shouldn’t be said.
The First Amendment in the U.S. Constitution reads as follows: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
This short paragraph is packed full of freedoms that we often take for granted. An uptick in attacks on these rights has left the majority of Americans on edge.
The American Civil Liberties Union estimated that over 5 million people participated in protests this past Saturday. Named the “No Kings” protest, the event was the largest in history by some estimates, surpassing the 2017 Women’s March.
Millions of our neighbors chose to exercise their First Amendment rights, which allow each of us to freely express our opinions, peacefully assemble, and petition our government with our grievances. ABC 12 News estimated that close to one thousand protesters gathered in Flint Township.
News travels fast in our connected world.
Most of us count on journalists to report the news. Collectively known as “the media,” these professionals count on both free speech and access to news sources to do their job. Like most other professions, journalists historically banded together to strengthen and increase the value of their profession. Often, this includes the establishment of standards of conduct intended to hold each other to ethical standards.
The Society of Professional Journalists Code of Ethics, in its Preamble, states, “public enlightenment is the forerunner of justice and the foundation of democracy. Ethical journalism strives to ensure the free exchange of information that is accurate, fair, and thorough.”
The New York Times maintains and makes public its ethical standards for journalists. Accuracy of information is also central to their standards, as is acknowledging bias and avoiding conflicts of interest. I’m a loyal reader as a result of this publication’s track record of professionalism.
The media plays a pivotal role in public opinion. It is essential to determine whether your news source prioritizes truth-telling over pandering to those in power. That is, if you’re interested in knowing the truth rather than reinforcing what you want to believe.
In our companion book chapter for this week, the town of Coldwater is overrun with visitors, opportunity seekers, and the media. Beginning with a single pebble, in this case, Katherine Yellin, who impacted those in immediate earshot, the congregation of Harvest of Hope Baptist Church, and was further energized by Elias Rowe.
However, it was Amy Penn of Nine Action News of Alpena who energized the ripples well beyond the town of Coldwater. When her follow-up story went viral, the world wanted to know more.
This past week, we learned a little more about Sullivan Harding, known by his friends as Sully. As the book begins, Sully is being released from prison. We learn that Sully was a Navy pilot who had to abandon his aircraft in an emergency just before landing at Coldwater Airport. Sully was good at what he did, but something went terribly wrong.
Recently, the news has been filled with stories of aerial mishaps. One in particular involved a mid-air collision between a commercial airliner and a military helicopter at Reagan National Airport in Washington, D.C.
In Sully’s case, after being cleared for landing, his aircraft either hit or was struck by something, leaving the military jet unable to remain airborne. His only choice was to aim the aircraft away from any populated area and eject.
Sully wants to know the truth. His own life was turned upside down by a failure to discover the truth. News isn’t news if the story is based on fiction.
Christians rely on the stories found in scripture as our primary source of truth about God. Most of us believe that God inspired scripture, and some of us claim God wrote what we read. Regardless of how we view each specific detail, our beliefs are informed mainly by how we interpret what we read or hear in scripture.
The Old Testament is primarily based on an oral tradition. It consists of stories passed down for generations before they could be written down and preserved. Moreover, we rely on experts who translate ancient manuscripts from their original language into a language we can understand. Along the way, decisions are made regarding what was intended by the original author.
None of this removes the truth of scripture. But it does make it more difficult to reach a consensus on details.
A prophet is a messenger or spokesperson for God. Like journalists, prophets report what God tells them. We’re left to imagine whether their words are verbatim or retold as they heard them. Frankly, this is why I love reading scripture. There is so much humanity in the stories that I can personally relate to them, and I can try to imagine what it must have been like for the storyteller.
We sometimes learn the “call story” for the prophets themselves. In other words, how did they come to know that God chose them to speak on behalf of God? Scripture also includes interactions that offer insight into God, the prophets, and their relationship. This is often referred to as theology.
For example, a favorite often told to children is the story of Jonah. It’s a wild story that includes Jonah being swallowed by a large fish. Perhaps a whale, but scripture isn’t specific.
Jonah, however, set out in the opposite direction in order to get away from the Lord.
Jonah 1:3
It all began when God asked Jonah to go to Nineveh to warn the people that they needed to make substantial changes in their standards of conduct. Jonah didn’t want to do what God asked, so he went on a boat headed the other way.
The people of Nineveh were enemies of Jonah’s people. And Jonah knew that if he could convince the people to change, God might forgive them. Jonah wanted God to destroy Nineveh rather than save it.
I won’t spoil the ending, although most of you already know how the story ends. Either way, I’m hoping you’ll join us for episode three of our series, Heaven. This week, we’re discussing why it’s essential to share God’s love and grace with others.
It’s not just our First Amendment right, it’s our sacred request from God to go tell others. And we do this every day in how we treat others. Occasionally, we may also use words.
You can join us each Sunday in person or online by clicking the button on our website’s homepage. Click here to watch. This button takes you to our YouTube channel. You can find more information about us on our website at FlintAsburyChurch.org.
This is a reminder that we publish a weekly newsletter called the Circuit Rider. You can request this publication by email by sending a request to FlintAsburyUMC@gmail.com, or let us know when you send a message through our website. We post an archive of past editions on our website under Connect – choose Newsletters.
Pastor Tommy
Our series was inspired by Mitch Albom. The First Phone Call from Heaven. New York: HarperCollins, 2014.
“Code of Ethics.” © The Society of Professional Journalists, 2025. Link
“Ethical Journalism.” © The New York Times, March 26, 2025. Link