Emphasis Preaching Journal

For eighty years, the British Broadcasting Corporation was been recognized as a quality broadcaster. Its World Service has been admired as a reliable, unbiased news source. Its shows have long set trends and have broken records, two examples being the comedy program, Monty Python's Flying Circus, and the world's longest running soap opera, The Archers (14,000 episodes). A new program "New Home, New Life," is designed to help listeners survive in postwar Afghanistan. A young writer at the station's field office in Afghanistan was contemplating suicide because he had lost a leg to a land mine and planned to kill himself the very night his family was listening to the station. The program was about a character named Jandad who had stepped on a land mine. The writer continued to follow episodes of the story for some eighteen months, following Jandad's recovery to rehabilitation as a tailor. Listening to the program he was able to overcome his suicidal desires and entered a new career as a bicycle repairman. BBC is proud of its role in saving the writer's life and leading him to a better one.

In the story of the "Rich Man and Poor Lazarus," Jesus shows that the Word of God is even more powerful in changing lives. Listening to God's Word in the Bible enables us not only to change from selfish to compassionate people, but it is able to give us eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.