Naval gazing

  As I write, the controversy is still raging about whether the naval personnel taken captive in Iran before Easter should have sold their stories to the press.

  In our 24/7 world, news - any news that can fill a few minutes of TV or a few columns of print - is at a premium.  Add the amount of space to be filled by people with stories to tell and divide by the insatiable curiosity of people and you have our world of media hype and wall-to-wall news.

  Some people say that this constant babble of news and current affairs is one of the downsides of our modern society.

  But why be so churlish?  As Christians, we have a long and credible history of being newsmakers.  We have a story to tell - the good news of Jesus Christ and it’s our duty to spread the good news of salvation.
 
  In Matthew 28, Jesus gives us the great commission to 'go into all the world', urging us to communicate our faith so that others, too, may become his disciples.

  But God does not leave it at that.  He gives the means to communicate this news.

  At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came upon the disciples and they began speaking in one another's languages so that everyone in that cosmopolitan society could hear the gospel for themselves.  Peter, who had been tongue-tied in front of a servant girl who asked him if he knew Jesus, is now given the gift of preaching and explaining the gospel - not just to a few but to thousands.  The disciples went on to preach and heal and to see the church growing daily.  They were so effective in this communication of the love and power of God that they were challenged by the authorities.  They were arrested and some, like Stephen and James, lost their lives.

  They had the news of the sacrifice that Jesus made for our forgiveness and to secure our eternities in the presence of God - and they were not afraid to tell it to those who would listen.

  Can the same be said for our generation?  Have we become a generation of news consumers rather than a generation of news makers.?

  Through the personal relationship each of us has with God through Jesus Christ, we experience his love and protection.  Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we are strengthened and empowered to follow God's will for our lives and to face whatever life brings.  We really do have stories to tell - not for personal gain but to fulfil Jesus' Great Commission and to encourage one another in trust and faith.  We need not be orators standing before a large audience or have any special skills at all.  All that we need to do is share our story of faith with friends, relatives and neighbours, trusting in the strength of the Holy Spirit to provide the words and the opportunities.

  The good news of Jesus is the news item that everyone needs to hear above all the other news that bombards us.  May they hear it through us and see us live it out, all day, everyday.

by Graham Clarke.