I read the news. A lot. I wouldn’t call myself a news junkie, but I would certainly say that I can’t go a few hours without at least checking the latest headlines. Stimulus bills, skyrocketing unemployment, peaceful transitions of power, wars in the Middle East, deaths everywhere from AIDS and malnutrition, pirates evaded, computers invented, discoveries made, scandals uncovered. It’s so fascinating how we can catch the world at a glance these days. And to me, it’s even more fascinating how huge and intricate the world really is. At any given moment, there are literally billions of things happening at once, and very few of those things are under my control. I really want to affect the world for the better, but when I read the news, I’m forced to face the dreary reality that my voice alone may not be strong enough or loud enough to change the headlines. I alone can’t make the world into a perfect utopia with no wars, fears, deaths, or sadness. It’s too big, and I’m too small. And I hate to break it to you, but you’re probably too small too. If you think about it, the only way we can really change the world is by doing it together. That’s what Christians Broadcasting Hope is all about.

We together (you and I) are changing the world for the better. We blanket the world in broadcasts of eight different languages on five different continents to tell individuals about the hope of Christ. We’re together sowing seeds of hope, praying that those seeds land on good soil, and understanding that God is working and changing lives with us. And the radio broadcast is just the beginning. We (together) employ indigenous people in each location that we produce programs, so we are providing jobs, equipment, and opportunity in areas of the world where resources can be scarce. We, the English broadcast, aren’t working alone either, because we understand that we can’t change the world alone. In fact, we (the Americans and Kenyans) are producing a CD of an African choir that CBH-Swahili uses on their broadcast to help raise money for a new Arabic broadcast we’re launching soon. And they (the Kenyans) just returned from a trip to Côte d’Ivoire to help train and equip the CBH-French team there, because they can’t do it alone. Are you following me? When we work as a worldwide community of believers with God to change lives for the good, we have a chance at success.

That’s what Hope107.5 is about. It’s not a new radio station; it’s a way for you to join us. A lot of you sponsor a day of CBH for $860. That’s how much it costs to keep the global ministry of Christians Broadcasting Hope running for one day. Thanks for doing that! Your mission work is changing lives all over the globe. Some of you also sponsor half of a day for $430. We appreciate you too. You’re all providing jobs, life, and hope for people who may not otherwise have it. But we understand that not everybody can afford to sponsor a whole day, or even one-half of a day. That’s why we’re asking the rest of you to give hope by donating $107.50 to keep all eight language broadcasts of CBH going for three hours. And that’s all we’ll ask from you, for the entire year. Because it isn’t about one person trying to change the world alone; it’s about many of us in the body of Christ changing the world together. It’s about getting involved in something big, bigger than us, bigger than the headlines, bigger, even, than the world. It’s about getting involved in sharing the hope of Christ.

Today, right now, I’m going to challenge you to not think about this. Don’t promise that you’ll pray about it tonight. Don’t say that you’ll try to remember us next month. I’m going to challenge you right now to

Stop.

Take a deep breath.

Pray.

And join us this year. We (together) can change the world. Choose hope. Give today. Hope107.5.

Andrew Lyon