In the gospels, whenever Jesus shares the message of the kingdom, it’s very often in response to something he has just done. Jesus heals someone on the Sabbath, and people demand an explanation. A concrete expression of the kingdom takes place, and people say, “What is the meaning of this?” Then Jesus shares the message (very often in parabolic form). It seems like most of the time for Jesus preferred to demonstrate the gospel first, which usually led to an opportunity to talk about it.

Jesus’ modus operandi was demonstration, then explanation.

So I think it’s vital to “be ready to give an answer to anyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have” (1 Pet 3:15), and we need to learn to talk about the gospel in ways that aren’t steeped in reductionistic Enlightenment thinking, but I think perhaps it’s more important to discern what an appropriate demonstration of the kingdom ought to look like in our contexts.

What concrete actions can the church be practicing that would actually demand some kind of gospel explanation? What is the content of the kingdom?

More…

Every year, on Hallowe’en, I sit on the front porch of my house with a bowl of candy, a box of beeswax candles, and a large icon for the Feast of All Saints.

Every child who comes to the house gets a piece of candy, and may also light a candle and place it before the icon. Very few kids (even the jaded teenagers) turn down the opportunity.

For those who ask, I tell them that the meaning of the word “Hallowe’en” is “the eve of the Feast of All Saints”.

If they press me on the point, I tell them that they can think of the true meaning of Hallowe’en as being that, because of Christ, they can dress up like ghosts and goblins and whatnot, because we do not need to fear those things any longer.

I wish I had a few photos of the kids in Satan masks, lighting a candle and placing it before the icon…