Scripture: Mark 1:14-15
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.”
Thought for the Day: What do you think would be the response if you walked down a main street and yelled, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news.” Along with folks thinking you’re a little kooky, many of them wouldn’t really understand what you were saying. In the opening chapter of his book, “Speaking Christian,” Marcus Borg tells of moving from his teaching position in Minnesota, where Christianity was known well, to Oregon, the least churched state in the country. On the first day of his Introduction to the New Testament class, he talked about how early Christianity was rooted in Judaism. A student raised his hand and asked, “What’s Judaism?” That’s not an easy question to answer in just a few minutes, but in his attempt, Borg referenced Moses and immediately another hand went up and the student wanted to know who Moses was. Borg’s story reminds us of how easily we toss around Christian language as if everyone spoke Christian, but for many people it is a foreign language. Borg also points out that many Christians speak the language, but do not understand it. When we read the words proclaim and preach, I think we must understand them as a call to find a common point of connection between people and the love of God. We do not complain or bemoan the fact, but love them where they are. This takes a lot more work than simply rattling off a bunch of lines from the Bible, but in the end, it will be much more effective..
Prayer: May the language I use to speak of you, O God, bring understanding and peace, not confusion and distress. Amen.
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