Journalists are trained to react to major news stories in a very particular way. A voice inside your head is supposed to say, no matter how earth-shattering the news: What happens next?
Continuing with that line of thinking, in the wake of the news that President Donald Trump and his wife Melania have tested positive for COVID-19, journalists will be asking: What is the next story? And, in particular, how does this affect my beat, the topic that I cover day after day.
You may have seen those mock headlines about the end of the world? What’s the headline at The New York Times for this religion story? “God says world to end tomorrow (story and analysis on page B11).” Or how about USA Today: “WE’RE DEAD!” The Washington Post: “World to end tomorrow; Polls look bad for GOP.” The Wall Street Journal: “Stocks are down, market closing early tomorrow.”
Right now, there are political-beat reporters who are being tempted to tweet: “Take that, all of you white evangelicals.”
Surely it says something bad — about me and our times — that the SECOND thing I thought of was this: Blue-checkmark journalists are going to be tempted to show their stuff on Twitter. The THIRD thing was: Brace yourselves for some really bad “thoughts and prayers” wisecracks.
What was my first reaction? I hesitate to share it, since regular GetReligion readers are probably aware that I have been a #NeverTrump guy since his first announcement that he was running for president. I simply didn’t think he was qualified for the office, as a basic issue of temperament and political skills.
But, I confess that my first thought this morning was this: “God is not mocked.”
Yes, that’s a theological reflection and I need to stress that this is actually a pretty good scriptural reaction to all kinds of serious news events, as opposed to being a comment about Citizen Trump alone. For serious believers, that’s a comment about the state of the world — period.
Care for some context? Well, here’s some context from the sixth chapter of St. Paul’s Epistle to the Galatians:
Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in the spirit of meekness; considering thyself, lest thou also be tempted. Bear ye one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ. For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself. …
Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.
Here’s another way to think about that, in a famous line attributed to the great British scribe — a journalist, actually — G.K. Chesterton. Asked by The Times to write a column on this subject, “What is wrong with the world today?” he is said to have replied with a letter stating this:
“Dear Sir,
I am.
So, shall I risk a brief pilgrimage into Twitter?
I’m going to limit this to five minutes worth of scrolling in my own Twitter feed. Let’s start with the obvious. As you would expect, the comments on this Joe Biden tweet are, at times, quite depressing. Kudos to Biden for avoiding the phrase “thoughts and prayers.”
Jill and I send our thoughts to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a swift recovery. We will continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) October 2, 2020
Former GetReligionista M.Z. Hemingway’s thoughts turned to theology and tradition.
Actually, her comment points toward a valid and timely news hook, in terms of a weekend feature. How will the president’s illness surface this weekend in pulpits and in liturgical prayers? Journalists take note.
In Lutheran liturgy, we pray each Sunday for the president and other leaders, no matter who they are. I can not recommend this practice highly enough. Getting into the practice keeps you from, e.g., wishing death on your political opponents.
— Mollie (@MZHemingway) October 2, 2020
From the progressive side of Catholic life, here is a thought related to prayers. This is both a call for kind language and an appeal to remember the larger context.
Let us pray for the President and First Lady in their illness, and for the 45,694 people who were newly diagnosed with the virus yesterday. Most of all, we pray for the 847 who died of COVID-19 yesterday. The virus is real. Show your love for others by acting to protect them.
— James Martin, SJ (@JamesMartinSJ) October 2, 2020
If you need something that is totally #2020 appropriate and cryptic, turn to Ross Douthat of The New York Times.
A vivid memory for this morning: Walking a country road near midnight on New Year’s Eve in a snowbound Minnesota, looking at the stars, thinking to myself: 2020 is going to be a really good year.
— Ross Douthat (@DouthatNYT) October 2, 2020
As you would expect, Bobby Ross, Jr., was online early:
Darn autocorrect: Melania, not Melanie.
And darn Twitter: Still need an edit button. https://t.co/zG1dm6sJBq
— Bobby Ross Jr. (@bobbyross) October 2, 2020
Religion News Service is warming up, with some news about the good and some bad in the reactions:
Prayers for healing — and for a change of heart — fly following news of @POTUS‘s positive #COVID19 test. https://t.co/C5mVKloGEJ
— Religion News Service (@RNS) October 2, 2020
From our “no comment” department (but the complicated praying comment is SPOT ON):
There is a lot of complicated praying going on out there today https://t.co/5vOYQ8Qgym
— Michelle Boorstein (@mboorstein) October 2, 2020
Here is an appropriate two-for-one, from the cultural left and the right.
Good for Rachel Maddow.
More of this–and this from more of us Americans, no matter our politics–please! https://t.co/RqDHzeXcNs
— Robert P. George (@McCormickProf) October 2, 2020
I’ll end with this journalism comment from one of the sharpest students I have ever had:
When I sign on to the early morning shift with one eye open https://t.co/t5dPpdEUF2
— Bernadette Berdychowski (@bernadeadline) October 2, 2020
That’s enough for now.
I will leave this thread open all day for updates and appropriate comments.
Please leave us URLs for stories that have religion-related comment that we need to know.
UPDATE: You knew that this was coming, but it’s still horrible, care of The Federalist: “ ‘I Hope They Die’: Left-Wingers React To Positive Coronavirus Diagnosis For Trump, Melania.”
One mild sample:
“I hope he dies”
– Former National Spokeswoman for Hillary Clinton’s 2016 campaign, Obama White House staffer Zara Rahim
This isn’t some random Twitter troll. Zara worked with Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama. Disturbed, evil Democrats are cheering right now. pic.twitter.com/fEG5DVg3ty
— Robby Starbuck (@robbystarbuck) October 2, 2020
I’ve been listening to Bob Dylan all day. This one kinds of captures the mood:
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