Where Did You See Love this Week? Rise & Shine, April 19th Acts 13:30-33 But God raised him from the dead; and for many days he appeared to those who came up with him from Galilee to Jerusalem, and they are now his witnesses to the people. And we bring you the good news that what God promised to our ancestors he has fulfilled for us, their children, by raising Jesus; as also it is written in the second psalm, 'You are my Son; today I have begotten you.' Questions: 1. What news would you consider good news today? What is the good news you think people are yearning to hear? 2. Where have you heard or seen good news since the outbreak of the coronavirus? 3. How do you see the Good News of the Gospel reflected in the good news present during the coronavirus epidemic? In the News During Anxious Times, People Crave Good News Actor John Krasinski, of the TV shows The Office and Jack Ryan, wondered for years why he couldn't find a news show dedicated entirely to good news. Finally he asked himself, "All right. Enough is enough, world. Why not us? Why not now?" So, he invited his Twitter followers to share good news stories with him. When they began to pour in, Krasinski started a YouTube channel called SGN, which means Some Good News. The show is trending #1 this week, an indicator, perhaps, of the hunger of people for good news in a time when bad news seems to be overwhelming the airwaves. So, we decided to check out some of the websites that focus on good news recommended by Krasinski. Here's a sample of what we discovered: • A Detroit man spent $900 to fill the gas tanks of nurses' cars to thank them for their work during the outbreak. • The Roush family in Ohio started a "drive-thru chat" so people could have someone to talk to face to face while practicing safe social distancing. Corrine Roush said the family's initiative has been "such a light during what has felt like such a dark time." • Students at MIT have been working on developing an affordable alternative to scarce and expensive ventilators desperately needed by hospitals in this country and across the globe. Another student has been making face masks with windows so the hearing-impaired can read the lips of their health-care providers. • Everyone from celebrities, major companies, tattoo artists and professional athletes are donating money and supplies to hospitals to help in the fight to save lives. • People who have recovered from COVID-19 are donating their blood plasma to help those now sickened by the disease. • Teachers are driving by the homes of their students to drop off supplies, leave balloons in driveways, and stand outside windows with whiteboards to explain a math lesson to a child confined indoors. • Communities have mobilized to place stuffed animals in windows so children can "hunt" for bears while riding in cars or getting some exercise. • A Colorado woman sends her golden retriever dog Sundance, aka Sunny, to deliver groceries to a neighbor who has been advised not to leave her home because an underlying health condition makes her more at risk of infection. • Instead of writing a ticket to a motorist who had been speeding, a law enforcement officer donated some of his own N95 face masks to her after learning that she was a doctor. • Health-care professionals, firefighters and law-enforcement officers are coming out of retirement to relieve exhausted front-line workers. • Chefs whose restaurants are shuttered have taken to making sack lunches and hot meals for staff, students, the unemployed, the homeless, the hungry. A Sacramento eatery is donating all its March profits to help other struggling restaurants. Meanwhile, singer and philanthropist Bon Jovi is washing dishes at a restaurant, and the queen of Malaysia is preparing meals for hospital workers. • Kroger, the largest grocery chain in the United States, is giving employees bonus pay for working during the pandemic. • Brewers, glove makers and auto manufacturers retool their factories to produce hand sanitizer, PPE (personal protective equipment) and ventilators. • Hotels are providing rooms for use by health workers who are unable to go home, and average citizens are loaning RVs to medical personnel for the duration. • Texas Roadhouse announced that its CEO, W. Kent Taylor, will redirect about 10 months worth of his base salary and bonus to pay front-line workers. • While the pandemic and shutdown of major swaths of the global economy are causing undeniable pain, satellite images from space show a reduction of pollution in many areas, which scientists say should have at least small, if temporary, benefits to the environment and health. Using the hashtags #FlowerBoostChallenge and #BuyFlowersNotToiletPaper, the Dutch Van der Ende manufacturing company spearheaded an initiative to encourage businesses to buy plants and flowers to give to hospitals, care centers, workers and ordinary citizens to cheer them up. More than 1,000 companies in the Netherlands answered the call, purchasing over 1 million flowers to support the nation's hard-hit floriculture sector. From the "Clap for Carers" tribute in the UK to the belting of operatic arias in hard-hit Italy, people are applauding medics and cheering neighbors from balconies, lawns and rooftops. Though physically separated, they are joined in sentiments of patriotism, pride, lamentation, anxiety, gratitude and hope. From the silly to the sublime, artists, dancers, comedians and musicians cocooned in their own homes behind multiple computer screens are creating beauty, good humor, community, harmony and unison through the wonder of technology. Canadians Mita Hans and Valentina Harper began a "caremongering" movement on social media to counter "scaremongering," connect volunteers with people who need help, and create camaraderie, hope and "a contagion of kindness." Paul Viennau said that the help he received through the Halifax caremongering group felt "like a hug." Another participant, Rhia Rave Fae, said the caremongering group was "a safe haven to restore my faith in humanity … shows the good in people, and proves we can do amazing things when we come together." In the few episodes Some Good News (SGN) has produced thus far, Krasinski concludes with some version of this statement: "Remember, no matter how tough things get, there's always good in the world." More on this story can be found at these links: Some Good News With John Krasinski, Episode 1 (Video 15:43). Some Good News Good News Network Home Page. Good News Network Good News Dashboard for COVID-19. InspireMore Tank's Good News Home Page. tanksgoodnews.com Coronavirus: The Good That Can Come Out of an Upside-down World - BBC News Italians Find 'A Moment of Joy in This Moment of Anxiety.' The New York Times Proverbs 15:30 The light of the eyes rejoices the heart, and good news refreshes the body. Isaiah 52:7-10 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace, who brings good news, who announces salvation, who says to Zion, "Your God reigns." Listen! Your sentinels lift up their voices, together they sing for joy; for in plain sight they see the return of the LORD to Zion. Break forth together into singing, you ruins of Jerusalem; for the LORD has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. The LORD has bared his holy arm before the eyes of all the nations; and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. A Litany of Thanksgivings Let us give thanks to God our Father for all his gifts so freely bestowed upon us. For the beauty and wonder of your creation, in earth and sky and sea. We thank you, Lord. For all that is gracious in the lives of men and women, revealing the image of Christ, We thank you, Lord. For our daily food and drink, our homes and families, and our friends, We thank you, Lord. For minds to think, and hearts to love, and hands to serve, We thank you, Lord. For health and strength to work, and leisure to rest and play, We thank you, Lord. For the brave and courageous, who are patient in suffering and faithful in adversity, We thank you, Lord. For all valiant seekers after truth, liberty, and justice, We thank you, Lord. For the communion of saints, in all times and places, We thank you, Lord. Above all, we give you thanks for the great mercies and promises given to us in Christ Jesus our Lord; To him be praise and glory, with you, O Father, and the Holy Spirit, now and for ever. Amen. .