Grabbing the headlines

Or even better going inside. Or maybe I don't love going in - because it can be very frustrating.

There you are, hanging around waiting in the queue.

Or maybe just going out having been in the queue and the headline grabs you - "Killer on the beach'"What is it? Toxic waste? A mad dog? A stray orca? It might just be a real homicide.

You crane your neck round to see.

Yes, as you thought, it's toxic waste swept in from some leaking ship but just as you try to find out who or where or how much, the queue moves on or you reach the bit that says "Turn to page 5 for Full Story".

They're not stupid, these editors.

You're going to have to buy a copy. Or at least stand there feeling slightly guilty as you peek inside, trying not to mess up the pages in the process.

To be fair, I usually don't bother.

Like with the "Giant rat shot in Bradford" headline this past week.

It was clear enough what the story was and I didn't particularly want to receive information about rats anyway (definitely too much) but I've reached the age where the "freak rats invading Britain" story has appeared widespread in the national press on at least three previous occasions.

I'm not saying the stories haven't been true - as far as the facts could be interpreted at the time - but the invasion never happened.

The story went cold and was replaced by others until it re-surfaced 10 or 15 years late4.

So I don't bother too much if I can't get to the fine detail from a scan of the (visible) front page.

I wonder sometimes whether the "story about Jesus" has the same effect on people.

It doesn't crop up very often but when it does you recall the last time somebody advertised the greatest story ever told (as Cecil B. de Mille called it).

Maybe you gave it some attention, found out the details, went to the meeting - or whatever was being highlighted... and then nothing happened. So now you don't bother.

Mind you, if the rat had been found in my neighbour's drains...

So now when I talk about Jesus - who, incidentally, does have the greatest story ever - I refer to stuff that's just happened, whether to me or better to someone I know locally.

So, people getting healed by Jesus - here and now.

People freed up from anxiety in the name of Jesus - locally.

People getting peace in their heads for the first time in years - down my road.

People learning - through Jesus - that they really are OK and worth something ....here, not far away and long ago but right here and now.

That's worth stopping for. People want the full story in those cases. They might even buy the whole message.

Nigel O'Dwyer leads Goring New Life Baptist Church and helps co-ordinate churches across Worthing through Churches Together for Worthing.

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