March 4, 2015

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel: it is the power of G*d for salvation to every one who has faith.” Romans 1:16

“Above all, strive by holy thoughts, as well as by prayers, to fulfill in daily life what you profess orally; and may the Holy Spirit who speaks to you upon your lips also deign to dwell in your hearts. It is truly good and pleasing enough to G*d when the tongue devoutly chants the Psalms, but it will be better still if your life is in harmony with the words on your tongue.” Caesarius of Arles (470 – 542)

St. Francis of Assisi has the famous quote attributed to him, “Preach the Gospel always, and when necessary use Words”. Caesarius of Arles has the same theme running in his quote – that our life needs to be in harmony with what we profess. If we profess that we are believers of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, then our lives need to be seen as matching our words. Take for example, not a good one but one that comes to mind, the recent dilemma of Brian Williams. Recently it has come to light that this man who is a respected journalist, one who has built his reputation on being a man who speaks truth, has been questioned about something he has been reporting about in his life – speaking about it quite a bit. Because his words do not fit the actual collective memories of those who were with him, not only is his story discounted and distrusted, but he will now ever have a shadow of doubt that will hang over his head as he reports on other stories.

The same can be true of someone who professes to be a Christian, but whose life does not appear to be in harmony with his words. If the two do not seem to play the same tune, and in fact are not in harmony with one another, the sound that reaches the ears of those around will be like finger nails on a chalk board. I tell my congregation that being an evangelist does not always mean “talking about your faith.” Being a good evangelist begins with living a life that is impacted directly by your faith. If you live your life in harmony with the teachings of Jesus, you will seldom have to begin a conversation about your faith. When someone says “Why do you spend so much time doing thus and so at church, or volunteering at a shelter, etc., you have the opening you need to share the Gospel.

Pastor Dave