Over the past few days I have relentlessly posted links and thoughts about the persecution of Christians and other minority groups in Iraq and other places. 

That’s hard enough to get attention, but then (for Christians) it’s hard to also pay attention to stories out of the Middle East that don’t have “Christians” in them. 

Such as the civil war in Syria. 

First of all, it DOES have a “Christian angle” to it. That is always under-reported. 

Secondly, because we’ve been conditioned to hate Muslims, Iraq, etc., we just don’t care, quite frankly, if Muslims are blowing each other up. 

Hopefully that was a crude enough statement to at least jolt a few people. 

The trouble is we just often don’t know HOW to “care” about news because if it doesn’t have some personal connection, we just often don’t know what to do with it. 

Then we can complain that the “media” doesn’t cover it enough. Or, when they do, it’s the “wrong” media. For instance, the above link goes to a Fox News story. Some of you may have clicked on that link, saw it was a Fox News story and already were pre-disposed to not pay attention because it was Fox News. Others were ready to read every word because it was Fox News. Some of you who haven’t clicked on that link will now NEVER click on that link because I already told you it was Fox News.

I hope THAT was crude enough to jolt a few more people. 

Here is a primer for how to “care” about what is going on in the world. 

1. Knowing what is going on is vital. Caring is another issue. Long to KNOW first, then “caring” can follow. KNOWING is vital. We’ve ignored the Muslim civil war that is sweeping the world and NOW we are reaping a whirlwind. 

2. Quit thinking in terms of “What should the U.S. do to respond?” We aren’t always the “calvary” to ride in. Sometimes the very best thing is to read and TO PRAY. Honest. 

3. READ. 

4. Read widely. Quit using your favorite sites alone. Learn how to read other sites you disagree with. Learn to put down your political lenses and just READ. Sometimes the story IS from Fox. Sometimes it’s from Slate. It could be the BBC or NPR. When we don’t read widely, we fail to understand that something IS being reported… just not from our normally “reliable” sources. 

5. Get to know a missionary or two. I know a lot of missionaries in just about every part of the world. They give whole new perspectives that take out the politics and put in people. 

6. When you get more “news” or “information,” realize it could be the time to pray. Not call for more troops. Pray. It is prayer that can stir our hearts to pay attention and seek God more. 

It’s not that we should “care” about world events, or we don’t “care” because we don’t know what to do. We need to read more because it can lead us to prayer, and THAT gets us into the flow of the Kingdom of God.