Most people – whether sitting in a pew or loitering in a church lobby – have heard the biblical reference, “The Writing on the Wall.” This now common citation was a circumstance when God used a miraculous tactic to get someone’s attention. Needless to say, when a dismembered hand appears out of thin air to write a cryptic code on your wall, it will do just that.

Metaphorically speaking, the same thing happens daily – on the walls of our hearts and minds, through multimedia.

God is trying to get our attention through stories we read or see on the news. These bits of information involving the Church, a church and all points in-between is like “Freshen-Up” gum. Remember that nasty stuff? You buy it expecting spearmint, bite it and got a flood of sludge rushing to all of your senses. The news is like that for Christians – you see it or hear it, and if you pay careful attention, there is so much more in the story for a person of faith.

From “church and state” to “faith and politics”; preachers in the news to so-called Christians making the news; regardless the story, the Body of Christ is challenged daily to see the news differently and possibly detect any modern “Writing on the Wall.” Are we living up to biblical standards? Are Christians in the news really wolves in sheep’s clothing? From warnings to worship, this is mainstream news for upstream believers. Period.

To some, a story may remind a pastor to tend to his flock more because God demands accountability. To others, a report may tell a layman that Jesus is more alive than he thinks and get his act together because no one “knows the day or the hour” of his return. But to all of us, these reminders should serve as a means to be more mindful of our witness, lifestyle and testimony in the face of a world that is ALWAYS watching what God is doing, or at least, what is being said about his people.

That is the premise of this blog: to challenge you – regardless of faith or focus, denomination or affiliation – to see the news, differently, namely when it pertains to issues of faith. What is God trying to say? Check the walls, the reality for the Body lies in the ink.