Every baptized person is expected to proclaim the Gospel ,i.e., the Good News of the inter-communion of God and man in Jesus Christ in whom the entire humanity has its destiny. How this can be achieved in a multi-religious and pluralistic society like ours in India should be the concern of every true Christian. Although Evangelization is the proclamation of the Good News manifested and made effective in Jesus Christ, very often it is misunderstood not only by the people outside the Church but also by the members of the Church herself. As soon as it is mentioned that Evangelization, as against proseletization, is the primary mission of the Church, unsavory images of colonization and forced conversions present themselves before the minds of some people. Others, especially the faithful, think of baptism and adding of new members to the Christian community. Are they the core issues in Evangelization and were there not sometimes aberrations in the execution of the mission of the Church? Especially during the colonial period, there were instances of mixing up of Christian values with attempts at self-aggrandizement puffed up by an air of superiority from the part of some colonizers. For an inquiry into the possibilities of Gospel Proclamation in our surroundings and for putting them into practice in our everyday lives, we propose here below three stages of Gospel Proclamation. They are not totally disparate nor are they unrelated to each other. On the contrary, they are just three distinct aspects of one and the same function of Gospel Proclamation.
1. A PERIOD OF INCUBATION: Anyone who would like to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ is required to undergo a cocoon-like stage of understanding the Word of God, complete surrender to the Will of God, full faith in God's providence and, in short, become a new creation. Only such a person can understand the import of the Gospel. There is no time limit for this process as it is a constant effort at self-renewal required throughout our lives. This is a stage where one learns the true meaning of faith.
2. FLOWERING OF THE SPIRIT: The new person under the spell of true faith begins to develop into a phenomenon in his or her surroundings . In the family such a person sets good example for other members of the family in what one says or does. In the Church community such a person will behave in a spirit of service to the community of Christ without any thought of recognition or remuneration. The Sunday School teachers will discharge their duties not because they are paid a salary but because of love of Christ. This means that the task we have undertaken should be neatly done with much greater enthusiasm than if we were paid a good salary. The same thing may be said about all office-bearers in the Church of Christ. As there are different charisms in the Church, we should not insist that everyone should do what one happens to do for Christ. In short, we are fired by hope in the promises of Christ and he should be our only reward.
3. SPREADING THE SWEET SCENT OF LOVE: The above-mentioned two stages prepare us to face the society at large in a very Christian way. We are messengers of the Good News that should be felt as good news by the ordinary men and women we meet everyday on the road, in the train, in the office, in the market-place, in the shops, etc. We should have a very soft corner for the poor, the weak, the incapacitated, the marginalized, the prisoners, the sick and the outcasts of society. To love someone whom nobody loves should be our privilege. There is no greater proclamation of the Gospel than this. We may not even speak about Christ to such people, for they already consider us as taking the place of Christ as far as they are concerned. This is love in action, often called charity.
Thus we see that the three stages mentioned above are nothing but expressions of the three divine virtues of faith, hope and charity. (To be Contd).
1. A PERIOD OF INCUBATION: Anyone who would like to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ is required to undergo a cocoon-like stage of understanding the Word of God, complete surrender to the Will of God, full faith in God's providence and, in short, become a new creation. Only such a person can understand the import of the Gospel. There is no time limit for this process as it is a constant effort at self-renewal required throughout our lives. This is a stage where one learns the true meaning of faith.
2. FLOWERING OF THE SPIRIT: The new person under the spell of true faith begins to develop into a phenomenon in his or her surroundings . In the family such a person sets good example for other members of the family in what one says or does. In the Church community such a person will behave in a spirit of service to the community of Christ without any thought of recognition or remuneration. The Sunday School teachers will discharge their duties not because they are paid a salary but because of love of Christ. This means that the task we have undertaken should be neatly done with much greater enthusiasm than if we were paid a good salary. The same thing may be said about all office-bearers in the Church of Christ. As there are different charisms in the Church, we should not insist that everyone should do what one happens to do for Christ. In short, we are fired by hope in the promises of Christ and he should be our only reward.
3. SPREADING THE SWEET SCENT OF LOVE: The above-mentioned two stages prepare us to face the society at large in a very Christian way. We are messengers of the Good News that should be felt as good news by the ordinary men and women we meet everyday on the road, in the train, in the office, in the market-place, in the shops, etc. We should have a very soft corner for the poor, the weak, the incapacitated, the marginalized, the prisoners, the sick and the outcasts of society. To love someone whom nobody loves should be our privilege. There is no greater proclamation of the Gospel than this. We may not even speak about Christ to such people, for they already consider us as taking the place of Christ as far as they are concerned. This is love in action, often called charity.
Thus we see that the three stages mentioned above are nothing but expressions of the three divine virtues of faith, hope and charity. (To be Contd).
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