For the past couple of weeks there have been two stories dominating the Australian news media. The first is the plight of some miners trapped in a mine collapse, the long and arduous task of rescuing the two survivors (one died), and their eventual release yesterday. The second story concerns a little girl who was very badly burned some years back when a car ran into her pre-school - after a miraculous and much publicised recovery over the past few years, she was last week, again hit by a car while being pushed across a pedestrian crossing in her stroller and is now in critical but stable condition in hospital.
In church last Sunday, at my prompting, we prayed for the trapped miners as well as the family of the dead miner, and for little Sophie and her family as well. Yet even while asking people to pray for these situations, there was a nagging thought within me that wondered why we focus on certain people or situations which seem somehow newsworthy or attractive, while often ignoring the many other equally needy people or situations.
In the end I guess I decided that it's ok to focus on someone in particular, provided that they act as a symbol for all the others in need who don't get publicity. It's ok to pray for the current media cause célèbre, provided this leads you also to praying for all those who have not been highlighted by the media but nevertheless need the special hand of God in their lives too.