In the fall, it seemed that the only thing in the news was the horrors and atrocities committed by ISIS (Islamic State in Iraq and Syria). There were beheadings, murders, sex slavery and thousands of people displaced by war. Unfortunately, this has not stopped. ISIS is still terrorizing the Middle East and the entire world through its evil tactics. In the last two weeks, a Japanese reporter was beheaded and a Jordanian pilot burned alive by ISIS militants.
There are countless other people dying all over the world from war and disease, but we do not often hear about it on our local TV news station. Your first instinct may be to blame “the media” for reporting on stories that only suit their agenda, but this is not a solution to the bigger problem.
There are a variety of reasons as to why certain topics are not covered in the mainstream news media. If you never hear about certain events, you may need to find a new source for your news. It may also be because it is dangerous for reporters to enter certain regions of the world, or because the TV station is trying to get good ratings. You can’t be sure, so it is best to read and watch many different sources.
We The Threefold Advocate urge you to be aware of international events, even when they are not on the front page of the newspaper or the trending hashtag on Twitter. It it some of these forgotten and overlooked atrocities that need our attention most. After all, we are not loving our neighbors by ignoring their problems.
Keeping up with international affairs is too much trouble, you may think. Maybe you don’t understand what is happening in Ukraine or why Boko Haram is still murdering innocent people. Most of these issues are fairly complex and require more than just skimming a headline.
We The Threefold Advocate work to bring these far-off, complex issues to campus through reporting the news. We believe that being informed and well-read is important to being a compassionate, action-centered Christian.
Solving problems begins with awareness, but not the passive, social media awareness that only requires the click of a button. Choose an issue or a specific region of the world and learn as much as possible about it. Educate yourself so that you can educate others, and actively spread the news of your cause. Don’t just hop on a bandwagon, but make the cause an important part of your life.