How do you respond to news?

I've gotten out of the habit of reading the news.

So when I did hear from a World Vision newsletter that the civil war in Sri Lanka had intensified greatly and moved north, I was surprised. I sponsor a girl in northern Sri Lanka.

And I got worried when I then read all the news about the war, how it had ended but how so many people were displaced or killed.

I started believing the worst and panicked. I thought maybe my girl was hurt or dead. I prayed a lot, but don't applaud me, because I was unhealthily anxious. My family got a little taste of this.

Well praise be to God, I heard today that her area was apparently unaffected by the war! She is safe!

But during my panic, and reading the news, I also began to realize...there were articles about new tragedies in Pakistan and North Korea and Bangladesh... I thought I followed these countries but apparently not. It took my girl for me to even notice. And Sri Lanka...many have died or are in camps with little access to aid, but now that my girl is okay, I'm okay? No - all of these events should break my heart!

Admittedly it does seem silly to ask why we can have more compassion on people or groups of people that we care about more. I really love my girl so of course I'd be concerned about her over others.

But God cares about all of these people! Equally! He loves them all!

Wouldn't that be cool if I could say I was totally broken over everyone suffering the conflict in Pakistan, or the AIDS crisis, or even my grandma's anxiety over some of her relationships. But I'm not.

Jesus is. That's why He came to die.

My love for people is so small and self-centered in comparison.

Praise the Lord, for He is a sovereign God who truly loves and cares for all the suffering people in the world. May we never think we love people more than He does, and may His love for all people and the mercy He has had on us motivate us to respond like He did.

Mark 1:14-15 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"

John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Please pray for your family and friends and people on the news and everyone.