Even now, two millennia after that first Pentecost, the Great Commission of our Lord recorded in Matthew’s Gospel –‘Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations’ – continues to unfold. It is a fruitful exercise to reflect on the challenges Jesus’ disciples faced soon after the birth of the Church and the subsequent acceptance and rejection they experienced to their announcement of the Good News. Would it be fair, however, to say that today the ignorance and unbelief his disciples encounter is of a different kind?. Global communications being as they are, one would be hard pressed to deny that while universal conversion has not yet occurred, at least the awareness of the Christian faith is universal. The difference today is not ignorance per se. Rather it is a distorted understanding, or lack of interest, or outright rejection of the faith.
That distorted understanding exists should not surprise us. Not long ago, and even in some places today, one comes across followers of Christ who are surprised to learn that Catholics consider themselves Christian. Another example of erroneous understanding is the accusation of Mariolatry that Catholics faith, that belief that we worship – as opposed to revere – Mary, our Lord’s mother.
Perhaps the most alarming distortion, though, is the de-Christianization of Christianity. People used to observe that in our commercialized celebration of his nativity we have ‘taken Christ out of Christmas’. Now, even a casual acquaintance with their faith suggests that many soi-disant Christians have ‘taken Christ out of Christian’. For them, rather than being the Incarnate Logos, the Son of God, whose ongoing self-sacrifice redeems the world, Jesus is only an historical figure, an exceptional teacher and humanitarian. His followers are Christian much like followers of Aristotle or Marx are Aristotelian or Marxist. Along with the reality of incarnate divinity, the concept of sacrality is forgotten or, worse, rejected.
How is the Great Commission to proceed in the face of such distortion?
In his letter to the Romans St. Paul writes: “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message and the message is heard through the word about Christ”. Then, with compelling urgency this Apostle to the Gentiles tells the Corinthians: “Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel”. The need for preaching is urgent and is effectively met through the medium of words.
Paul’s exhortations about evangelizing are as pertinent today as they were two thousand years ago.
An especially encouraging example is the Nashville Catholic Radio (www.Nashvillecr.com) featured in the current Voices of the Vineyard column. I understand that it was founded in 1986 by a Catholic deacon and a Methodist minister who were disturbed by the prevalent misconceptions Protestants in the Nashville area had about Catholicism – including that Catholics are not Christian and that we indulge in Mariolatry. The success of its programming and the growth of its audience over the past three decades demonstrate both the need for and the appreciation of this manner of spreading the Good News. Readers who visit its website will be edified by NCR’s beautiful example.
“How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of the messenger who announces peace and brings good news.” Isaiah’s words from two and half millennia ago still hold true today as the Kingdom continues to advance.
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