A blank patch of sky

We bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to a living God, who made the heaven and the earth and the sea and all that is in them. In past generations He allowed all the nations to walk in their own ways. Yet He did not leave himself without witness, for He did good by giving you rains from heaven and fruitful seasons, satisfying your hearts with food and gladness. Acts 14:15-17

This is the good news that we are to carry to the ends of the earth.  Meg, my mom and I talked a lot yesterday about what it is exactly we are to proclaim, and how do we do it in the day-to-day of life to a people whose understanding of Jesus is certainly jumbled from way too much information, and yet, and yet not enough.

Meg was talking to a friend, a righteous man whose life shines with grace and kindness and wisdom, yet cannot believe that Jesus is the One.  And she got to the point in the story, where he was shaking his head slowly and saying the spirit within him simply did not see God in the various churches that he had visited, that she asked, What about this does not sound like good news?  Because that is what I am proclaiming, and anything else is not the gospel.  

We as the church have complicated our message with lots of postscripts that may or may not be part of the message.  Paul and Barnabas had a pretty straightforward message, an ancient version of the Four Spiritual Laws: 

• There is a living, powerful God who does good
• He satisfies our lives with food and gladness
• Our lives are caught up in empty vanity
• Through Jesus there is forgiveness of sins

This simple message was enough to get Paul dragged outside of the city gates and stoned and left for dead.  Some folks, particularly the religious leaders and businessmen, have a lot of investment in empty vanities.  

And this morning I watched a YouTube of the Hubble telescope pointing to an empty spot in the universe.  And am reminded once again of His glorious demonstrations of His power and majesty and beyond anything we can comprehendness.  

http://www.flixxy.com/hubble-ultra-deep-field-3d.htm