A friend recently asked me what I thought about the call to evangelize…that is…”go unto all the world and preach the gospel to all the nations.”(Mark 16:15)
When I was younger I was terrified God was going to call me to ministry in Africa. I had no desire to live in another country and I have always felt uncomfortable telling people how they should live. I didn’t understand why I felt uncomfortable until I grew older and I began to have my own questions and wrestle with doubt. I have never felt good about judging others’ beliefs and trying to coerce them to believe as I believe. It seems disrespectful, even arrogant. I actually ended up going to Africa when I was 15 and witnessed my grandparents’ evangelist friends treat native Kenyans like servants instead of equals. Even at 15, I knew this behavior was not Christ-like, no matter what scriptures they spoke with their mouths.
If we take “preaching the gospel” literally, it means telling everyone the good news that God loves us so much that God sent Jesus Christ to take all of the sins of the world on his shoulders so that we may live forgiven and free.
That’s a great message. Yet somehow through dogma and religious ritual the message has become “you must believe exactly how I believe and do everything I do and God will save you.” That’s not the same message.
Towards the end of his life, Jesus told the parable of the two sons(Matthew 21:28-31). This story clearly shows our actions are worth more than our words. Applying this to preaching the gospel, we must preach the gospel with our behaviors more than with our mouths. This truth is written over and over again in the Bible in different ways. Jesus speaks many times of those who profess to love God, yet their hearts are far from God. Paul says, “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.”(1 Corinthians 13:1)
Yet here we are in 2021 with “Christians” saying they follow Christ and posting hateful messages on social media, professing allegiance to Christ while blindly following immoral and manipulative politicians because they speak “the Christian language.”
Evangelizing is clearly more about our actions, how we treat others, than our words. Whether we go or stay to “preach the gospel” wherever we may be, we must preach it by giving food to the hungry, clothing to the naked, water to the thirsty, respect to the least of these, love to all we encounter. “They will know us by our love.” Not our words.
The gospel is good news. God loves us, all of us, the whole world, and sent Jesus to show us how to love and live and die, so that we may live abundantly in Christ. The fruits of the Spirit can only be found in the Spirit-filled, regardless of their title, profession, status, religion, culture, denomination, race, or political affiliation. “But the Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. There is no law that says these things are wrong.”(Galatians 5:22-23)
We are also called to be discerning (wise as a serpent), to test the spirits, to question our religious leaders, and to follow no one but Christ. Christ did not lead an insurrection, take over the government, and condemn his enemies. He did the exact opposite. He was captured without resistance as a political and religious prisoner, was beaten, ridiculed, and ultimately executed, and still asked God to forgive all of those who hated him because he understood they didn’t know what they were doing. He loved always.
He loves always, no matter who or where, the what and why are always the same. What? Love others. Why? Because Christ loves you. How? ““Then the King will say to the people on his right, ‘Come, my Father has given you his blessing. Receive the kingdom God has prepared for you since the world was made. I was hungry, and you gave me food. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was alone and away from home, and you invited me into your house. I was without clothes, and you gave me something to wear. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.’ (Matthew 25:34-36)
Seasons of the Soul 