HERALDS OF GOODWILL
In this issue, the focus is on news which reveals the distinctive note of goodwill. This type of news shows that Humanity,
in spite of its many challenges, can move towards a better and more inclusive future. The approach of the mainstream
media might lead us to conclude that the only events that matter are either violent conflicts of some kind, or concern the
personal lives of the rich and famous; and that what is most interesting in both cases is what is going wrong. And while
there may occasionally gleam forth from this turbulent sea a brief sign of the importance of reconciliation, of the triumph
of the human soul over adversity, this gleam is all too swiftly hidden by the onrush of new controversies or "sensations".
So there is a great need for news organisations which focus on a positive, creative approach to human problems.
Why is this kind of news important? It is not to create a facile optimism that isn't based in reality. Nor is it only so we can
feel relief from the depressing fare offered by most news sources. This goodwill news offers us a sense of the true
potential of Humanity, of its ceaseless creativity in the face of obstacles. It renews our faith in the unconquerable nature
of the spirit. It puts us in touch with universal values of justice, truth and beauty. It lifts us out of the narrow confines of
our own selfish desires, and helps us to focus on the needs of others. It gives us fresh ideas for our own service, and
encourages us to do more, and to do it better. And, viewed as a whole, goodwill news from many different fields of
service can begin to give us a sense of the true meaning and purpose of planetary events and processes. In other words,
such news can begin to reveal the faint outlines of the evolutionary Plan held within the Divine Mind, a Plan with which
Humanity is intended to cooperate.
It is, above all, news that concerns world service, in both idea and action. World service and the United Nations will be
discussed in our next issue. And in the issue after that, we will be looking more closely at the idea and ideal of group
service to the world, a thought that has been extended to the point where all who are engaged in world service are
seen as forming one great group in consciousness, the new group of world servers. But for now, let's note that every
individual who resonates with the ideal of world service, and who sets out, either alone or together with others, to do
something in their surroundings, becomes by that act an agent of goodwill, and an apt subject for those who convey
goodwill news.
The act of conveying goodwill news is a service in itself. The publications and organisations we are profiling in this issue are,
needless to say, only a fraction of the many that exist. Each one offers its own unique perspective on the world, and the
vast challenges that Humanity still faces: and each one includes approaches to solving one or other aspect of these
challenges. So in their sum total, while they may not include every significant act of world service, they do present -
in broad outline - an agenda for renewing the world. We hope that our readers are already familiar with some of the
publications in this issue, and that they are encouraged to make the acquaintance of others. We can all benefit from the
widening of our horizons, for in doing so we open both mind and heart to the needs of Humanity, and can play our part in
meeting those needs.
GOODWILL IS…the reality behind every "good news" headline.
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