My sophomore year in high school brought a lot of changes. One of those changes, a positive one and one most important to me, was that I could take a class in journalism.
For one hour each day, five times each week, for about 40 weeks, I studied the fundamentals of Journalism. Throw in homework assignments and working on our award-winning school newspaper, I spent about 500 hours that school year immersed in journalistic pursuits. Yes, I learned how to write a concise, complete, accurate, and readable news story. Beyond the writing, though, I also learned how to do the research and investigatory work necessary to produce the elements of those stories. As Mrs. Cooper taught us: conveying what you want to convey is one thing; knowing whether it is accurate is something else entirely.
For the writing part, we learned to apply the Inverted Pyramid; the organization of information so that the most important facts appeared first in the story, with subsequent paragraphs containing information of lesser importance. Employing the Inverted Pyramid style, the first paragraph of a news story should contain (or, at least reference) the main who, what, when, where, and why (and/or how) fact-set.
If I were reporting on the events described in this week’s selection from the Gospel of John, the first paragraph would go something like this.
Last night in Bethany, at the home of Lazarus, Martha, and Mary, one of Jesus’s followers, Judas, criticized Mary for anointing Jesus’ feet with a pound of expensive perfume. Judas questioned why the fragrance was not, instead, sold for 300 denarii and the proceeds distributed among the poor.
That’s not a bad opening paragraph. The main actors are all named. The main event, the foot-washing, is referenced. And a possible conflict is identified. It’s enough to make the reader wonder what happened next.
In an exclusive to this paper, another follower, John, described the events. John indicated he and other followers were invited to join Jesus for dinner at the Bethany household. [You my recall this home from a story we reported not long ago. It is the same location where Jesus raised Lazarus from the dead!] During dinner, while Jesus visited with Lazarus, Mary brought in the jar of ointment, lavished its contents on the feet of Jesus and then proceeded to wipe it off with her hair!
This works perfectly in an inverted pyramid story. The second paragraph provides the background for the first part of the first paragraph. The third paragraph will address the conflict between Jesus and Judas.
As the scent of the expensive perfume filled the house, Judas was heard to say, “Why was this perfume not sold for three hundred denarii and the money given to the poor?" The reader might think this question was not aimed at anyone in particular; more of a rhetorical question than one seeking an answer. However, John tells us Jesus responded to Judas, telling him, “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."
The good reporter uses the last paragraph to bring the story to a close ... or to as much of a close as can be engineered with the facts at hand.
There has been speculation as to not only what Jesus meant by the comment to Judas that he would “always have the poor” with him, but also why he directed the comment to Judas. Jesus is known to periodically pause and direct side comments to His followers. However, in this case, it is clear His remarks were made directly in response to Judas. There seems to be a brewing conflict between these two, one that bears watching. The reader can depend on our reporters to remain vigilant, and to bring you the news of whatever develops.
That would be the end of a news story. The facts were presented and unknowns were identified. Mrs. Cooper would instruct us to move over to the Opinion Page if we wanted to write anything else about those events. Let’s do that and see what might have been printed there.
Sharp words were exchanged last night at a home in Bethany. The well known preacher, Jesus, took to task one of his followers for criticizing the actions of their host (see related story on Page 1). It seems one Judas expressed dismay that a pound(!) of perfume was applied to the feet of Jesus by Mary, sister to Martha and Lazarus (see “Life After Resurrection” Page 8, for more on this mystery man). While it may seem bizarre to anoint someone’s feet with perfume (and then wipe it off with her hair), in our view, Mary was perfectly within her rights to do so. Her home, her perfume. However, this Judas opined that the perfume was expensive and could have been sold for 300 denarii(!). Further, he thought that value could have been more useful in the hands of the poor than on the feet of Jesus. It is hard to argue with the need of the poor, but ....
This Judas kept the common purse of Jesus and his followers and no doubt had money on his mind ... perhaps too much. We have it on good authority that this Judas said what he said “not because he cared about the poor.” Our source further accused Judas of being a thief, claiming that he “used to steal” from their common purse. Well, that puts a whole new light on his complaints about the poor! In our opinion, this Judas cares nothing about the needs of the poor, but only about his own pockets. It seems his master has caught him out as well, sending this parting shot his way: “Leave her alone. She bought it so that she might keep it for the day of my burial. You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."
Sounds to us like Jesus was not really commenting on the poor, at all. That, by using ‘the poor” as a metaphor, He was telling Judas that he could steal from the purse at any time, but that there would not be another occasion when Mary could express her feelings about Jesus. As for our newspaper, it is our hope the authorities will take note of this man and his love of money. For, as we all know, it is the love of money that is the root of all evil.
It might be interesting to read what this fictional newspaper would write about subsequent events. And what opinion pieces might grace its Opinion Page. But that’s it for now.
At least we now know who said what to whom.
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GRAPHIC (a great link to lessons for writers and wanna-be-writers): https://writerswrite.co.za/why-you-need-the-inverted-pyramid-when-you-write/inverted-pyramid-in-comprehensive-form/
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READINGS FOR THE COMING WEEK
Fifth Sunday in Lent (April 7, 2019)
https://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu//texts.php?id=122
Isaiah 43:16-21
Psalm 126
Philippians 3:4b-14
John 12:1-8
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One Friday closer to Easter! Join us for DaySpring’s Lectionary Breakfast at the Waco “Egg and I” restaurant. We start at 8:00am, packing an hour with good news, good food, good fellowship, good discussion, and a belly laugh or two. You should join us.
Blessings,
Steve
