It’s two weeks after Easter… and one night, Jesus drops in at your house. He says he is making the rounds of NMCC folks, because it has been wonderful to hear that we are working on being His hands and feet in 2024 ! He smiles and says:
“Go into all the world and preach the Gospel to all creation.“
What? PREACH??? To all creation? — as in — be a MISSIONARY? Maybe he has the wrong house… I am not so sure I can do THAT…
For sure — we are NOT all cut out to be ordained clergy — OR to devote our lives to mission work in foreign places …. but what we CAN all do is to be champions for the Gospel — champions for the Good News — whoever we are and wherever we may find ourselves.
What is the Good News?
The Good News says — LOVING is the only thing that really matters!
If we define “missionary” as “a person sent on a mission to spread/ teach/proclaim the Good News of Love,” aren’t we all commissioned to do that?
We often think we have to make a “Grand Gesture” — accomplishing something huge, like funding a foundation to help overcome racism or establishing a soup kitchen or giving up your life to work with Mother Teresa. Actually, one woman did just that… she saved her money for a trip to Calcutta and offered herself to Mother Teresa.
Mother Teresa’s response?
“We are actually doing fine here. God is calling YOU to find those in need where you live and work to make a difference there...” No grand gesture necessary.
Jesus is telling us simply to “preach” the gospel every day by the way we live…
by the way we make our decisions, run our businesses, spend our money, donate our time, live our lives, share our love…
“When in doubt — paint the bathroom!“
Thus said Grace, whose sister actually did happen to be a missionary, serving in an orphanage in India.
On a brief visit to see her sister and meet the children, she was heartbroken to see the completely deplorable conditions in the building where the children were living, and most especially, the totally dismal bathroom… She yearned to do SOMEthing that could improve their lives in some positive way — but WHAT??? She couldn’t adopt them all. She couldn’t build them a new orphanage. But one thing she COULD do? Paint that bathroom! No store to buy paint — so she came up with a plan to make some herself. The children helped her select and mix the pigments and then they happily helped her apply it to the dreary walls.
Voilà! Transformation! Love made visible!
And every time the children used the bathroom, they were reminded of that Love.
Every single gesture of kindness or thoughtfulness or Love that YOU share does the very same thing within the hearts of those receiving it. And when people are feeling valued and loved, they — in turn, share THEIR love with other people! And on and on it goes ….
This Sunday’s choral anthem GO INTO THE WORLD (click here to listen) comes once again from composer, Natalie Sleeth (check last week’s MUSINGS for more about Natalie)
“Go ye into the world and make disciples of all the nations
And I will be with you there!
Go ye into the world and take the Gospel to all the people
And I will be with you there!
I am the vine — you are the branches — ever the fruit to bear…
I am the light, you the reflection — everywhere!”
No need for special instructions.
No need for special education.
No need for ordination.
Just sharing Love… Love… And More Love… wherever you are… wherever you travel.
As St. Francis of Assisi is attributed to have said —
“PREACH THE GOSPEL AT ALL TIMES… IF NECESSARY, USE WORDS.”
One… Two… Three… GO YE!!!