On Apr. 23, 1994, I woke up before the sun. It was Saturday morning, which meant it was the one day of the week I got to tag along with my dad on his paper route—and afterward head to a local market for doughnuts. I trudged to the end of the sidewalk that led from our door to the street where there was a well-packaged bundle of our community’s daily newspaper, The Fairmont Sentinel.

I brought the stack of papers back and watched my dad in his usual routine. Before he folded the papers and packed his bag, he would scan the headlines. The story that particular morning was eye-grabbing as it covered the whole front page: “Former President Richard Nixon Dies.” Because I was fascinated with all things related to presidents, it is the first news article I remember reading.

Things have changed a lot since those days when I peddled the local newspaper. Even as the printed news continues to see a steady decline, news is everywhere. From rural Kansas, I can tune in to world events with the swipe of my thumb. It is also instantaneous. I once heard that people were alerted to an earthquake on social media before they felt the ground trembling. When you stop to think about it, it is an amazing time to be alive. Never before have the happenings of the world been so accessible to so many people so quickly.

I won’t spend time defending the merits of the news. I’ll simply assert that staying informed on current events helps us to appreciate the world around us:

• It gives us understanding of the politics and policies that shape our society;

• It expands our understanding of international and global relations;

• It informs us on the making and spending of money;

• It highlights the advances of the scientific community;

• It puts us into contact with people and concerns from different places; and

• It reports on the wonder of the natural world and universe.

Perhaps the most important benefit of the news is that it also shows a particular interpretation of the created order. In some ways, all news is interpretation. Isn’t that part of the constant struggle our society faces with mass media? Well, it is inevitable. Even for the Christian, the news helps us with interpretation.

What do I mean? Current events reflect the providential dealing of God with His creation. Biblical Christianity does not teach that God is a grand watchmaker who has wound up the gears of time and let them run accordingly. No, we confess that God created all things, that God in Jesus continues to sustain all things, and that God will one day bring all things to their completion. In other words, God is very involved in this world.

This has relevance for the way we understand the news. After all, it is God who makes nations rise and fall (Job 12:23); the heart of the king is in His hand (Prov. 21:1); He has equipped us with the means to exercise dominion over the earth (Gen. 1:28); He brings disaster on the city (Amos 3:6); He vindicates the afflicted and crushes the oppressor (Ps. 72:4); and the natural world—from the depths of the sea to the billions of galaxies in our universe—displays His unfathomable glory (Ps. 19:1).

Let me give a couple examples. Throughout this last year we have seen protests turn to riots. The one that happened in early January in the United States Capitol was especially gripping. What we saw in that news is what it looks like when people trust in politicians. Christians should read that news and remember that our trust is in the Lord. Soon we will be greeting the news that winter has passed to spring. Why? Because God promised Noah that as long as the earth endures so too will the seasons. Recently a new “super puff” planet was discovered in deep space. Never before had human eyes seen it. What is its purpose? Why is it there? It is there, though never before seen, to reflect the glory of the God who dwells in light unapproachable. To put it simply, even the leading headlines bring us into a greater awareness of God—His wisdom, faithfulness, judgments, power, and wonder.

The Daily Scoop

It is this double conviction—that the news is great and it tells us something about God—that was the motivation behind my new podcast, The Daily Scoop. The idea came on the morning of Sept. 11. My wife was browsing some Facebook pages and saw parents asking for advice on how to tell their kids about the 19th anniversary of the terrorist attacks. She came into my study and said, “I’ve got an idea! You love the news. As a pastor you can explain it with a Christian perspective, and you have some experience in podcasting. So,…” I immediately knew where this was going.

It was all I needed to let my creativity run. By the end of the day I had figured out a name, designed a logo, purchased bumper music, bought a domain name, and set up an RSS feed. Additionally, I received the help of my good friend Erin Bartel, who is the founder and owner of a social marketing company, to handle the podcast’s social media accounts. Thus, The Daily Scoop was officially launched.

It is a modest podcast. The basic aim is to give kids some of the top headlines within a 10-minute episode. Each morning I scan major news outlets and social media to see what is being talked about. I write up a quick sheet with notes and stories and, when particularly relevant, figure out how to help kids think about that headline from a uniquely Christian perspective. Generally, an episode has anywhere from four to seven headlines, and I try to diversify them—politics, economy, health, science, nature, and sometimes the strange and weird.

There are challenges to doing this podcast and trying to do it well. For starters, when I specifically began reading the news with kids in mind, I began to realize how much of what passes for news is simply inappropriate. Further, while The Daily Scoop is geared for kids, I’ll freely confess sometimes it is hard to explain the news. For instance, try explaining to kids the recent news about the stock market, GameStop, and short selling. It is fascinating news, but it can be hard to figure out how to accommodate their (and my own!) ignorance. Or, as another example, transgender issues are often front and center, especially with the current presidential administration. These are things kids need to be informed about, and yet care needs to be taken to do it in a sensitive way. Additionally, it is sometimes hard to think in a Christian way about some of the news. Oklahoma recently started selling permits for a Bigfoot hunting season. Fun news that kids will love! How to put a Christian perspective on it, though? I don’t know.

To give the podcast a unique flavor, I try to mix in some other segments. Parents are able to message me about upcoming birthdays, and we do our best to give a shoutout. Every Wednesday I end the episode with Wacky Facts. It has been reported to me that this is a highlight for many kids. From time to time I also specify a news story about the persecuted church around the world. I try to incorporate some this-day-in-history facts, and occasionally give a brief biography of a child who did something amazing. In December we held a coloring contest that got better participation than I had hoped for. These are little things, but they help to give some character to the content.

While it is hard to gauge statistics with podcasts that are available on multiple platforms, I have been encouraged by the feedback I have gotten. There certainly are mornings I roll over and grumble to myself about needing to do the podcast. But after a cup of coffee I’m usually in a better mood. A number of parents tell me they enjoy the podcast as much (if not more) than their kids. Lots of moms have told me that The Daily Scoop has been worked into their homeschool curriculum, and dads have told me it helps their work commute. I received a heartfelt message from the wife of a police officer who worked during the Washington, D.C., riots. She was so thankful for the biblical message that accompanied that headline. Feedback like that causes me to think a podcast like this is worth doing.

You can join me Monday through Friday on The Daily Scoop. If you appreciate the show, let others know. Word of mouth is a good way to connect children to current events with a Christian perspective.

You can listen to The Daily Scoop at www.DailyScoopNews.com or on Apple Podcast. If you have questions, email us at yourdailyscoopnews@gmail.com.

Kyle Borg pastors the Winchester, Kan., RPC and is president of the RPCNA Education & Publication Board.