SOMETHING NEW AND GOOD
The first writer who gathered up Jesus’ actions and message summed it all up by saying that Jesus proclaimed the «Good New of God». Later on, all the Gospel writers use the same Greek term (euaggelion) and express the same conviction: in the God announced by Jesus, all peoples encounter something «new» and «good».
Is there still in that Gospel something that can be read, in the midst of our indifferent and unbelieving society, as new and good for the man and woman of today? Something that can be met in the God announced by Jesus and which isn’t offered easily by science, technology or progress? How is it possible to live a faith in God in our time?
In Jesus’ Gospel we who believe meet up with a God with whom we can feel and live a life that is gift, that has its origin in the ultimate mystery of the reality that is Love. For me it’s good to not feel alone and lost in existence, nor find myself in the hands of destiny or chance. I have Someone to whom I can be thankful for my life.
In Jesus’ Gospel we meet up with a God who, in spite of our stupidity, gives us energy to defend our liberty without ending up slaves of some idol: to not live always half-way or just hanging on; to go about learning new and more humane ways of working and of enjoyment, of suffering and of loving. For me it’s good to be able to count on the energy of my mustard seed faith in that God.
In Jesus’ Gospel we meet up with a God who awakens our responsibility to not ignore everyone else. We won’t be able to do great things, but we know that we need to be a part of a life that has more dignity and more happiness for all, thinking above all in the most needy and defenseless. For me it’s good to believe in a God who frequently asks me what I am doing for my brothers and sisters. This God makes me live with more clarity and dignity.
In Jesus’ Gospel we meet up with a God who helps us to suspect that evil, injustice and death don’t have the last word. One day everything that hasn’t happened here, that has been left half-done, our biggest dreams and our most intimate desires – all this will reach their fullness in God. For me that helps to live my life and to await my death with much confidence.
Certainly, each one of us needs to decide how he wants to live and how he wants to die. Each one needs to listen to her own truth. For me it isn’t the same to believe in God as to not believe. For me it seems good to be able to go about in this world feeling myself welcomed, strengthened, forgiven and saved by the God revealed in Jesus.
José Antonio Pagola
Translator: Fr. Jay VonHandorf
