“Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.”
This picture hangs in the Vestry at Kirklington church. The quote written in the corner of the picture is taken from the King James Version of Mark chapter 16 verse 15.
It first caught my attention because of the rather charming old fashioned representation of Jesus with one of his disciples, and also I found curious the way in which the disciple seems to be trying to focus on an object in the far distance (I’m not criticising the artist – I could certainly do no better). Actually, anyone who understands themselves to be a Christian is that quizzical disciple in the picture, charged by Jesus with making known the gospel to all creatures. Francis of Assisi took this verse to heart and preached to the birds, we in recent years have been rather more reticent, perhaps hiding the gospel away in the Vestry. We have also rather mangled the meaning of the word ‘gospel’, sometimes taking it to mean ‘the truth’ or only to apply to a particular evangelical form of Christianity. The word ‘Gospel’ actually means ‘good news’, the good news that Jesus taught, the good news that leads to life in this world and the next. Good news is easy to speak of, if we have had good news we joyfully want to tell others, perhaps we are reticent about preaching the gospel because we have forgotten it is good news. The truth is all Christians need to speak of the good news and be the good news to all creation if our faith is to thrive. That’s a big challenge. If you don’t find your Christian life challenging then you are probably doing it wrong. The good news about the good news you are to preach is that Jesus stands with his arm about your shoulders as you speak and act, and he only asks us to be ourselves; that is to speak and be the good news in ways that we can - not in ways that others can but we can’t.
May we be known as people who speak good news to all creatures!
Stephen Gamble
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