Archive for the ‘gospel’ Category

A few years ago, I spent an hour somewhat concerned reviewing gospel tracts displayed in the lobby of a church. As a technical writer, I had to admire the writers’ ability to lay out the sequential steps toward completing the specified process. As a Christian, I was saddened to see what these tracts left out.

A few simple things ….for instance: the Kingdom of God, including the King. If Jesus received any air time in these publications, He appeared more a means to an end, a “salvation appliance.” The focus seemed to be on that axis of the universe: Me and My needs for the advertised commodity, salvation.. which could be earned by completing some easy steps.

The typical tract can present Jesus as the means to the most important end, the Eternal Self. This is one reason why it rings hollow, and is so unconvincing to the contemporary reader. In a world deluged with, baptized in, the cult of Self, people yearn, long, and cry out for something greater than their mere selves to live for. And a gospel that simply offers yet one more consumer good sounds like something far less than good news.

I like the way G. K. Chesterton put it:

“Christianity came into the world firstly in order to assert with violence that a man had not only to look inwards, but to look outwards, to behold with astonishment and enthusiasm a divine company and a divine captain. The only fun of being a Christian was that a man was not left alone with the Inner Light, but definitely recognized an outer light, fair as the sun, clear as the moon, terrible as an army with banners.”

A King has barged onto the historical stage, and conscripted us into His service. And it is a noble service, a call to leave this realm better than we found it, for His delight. God loves the world He created, and yearns to see it restored. He redeems us as His agents towards that end. See John 3:16 — what was it that God so loved?

We have a God who is far more than a pacifier for our souls. The gospel is the good news that the King has come, and things are going to change. And we have a piece of that action, we are in on the fun, and the world will never be the same.