I was recently asked by the United Church of Canada’s Gathering publication to articulate an answer to the question ‘what is the gospel?’
My response will be published in the Pentecost 2027 issue of Gathering.
In their request, they noted: At last summer’s United Church General Council, a proposal was received that called upon the United Church to return to a biblical understanding of the gospel. While the council reaffirmed our attachment to the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the proposal was not enacted. The debate centred around the various interpretations of gospel and whether one particular facet or interpretation of the word gospel should be given priority….
What does the word gospel mean to you? When you share the gospel message in your context, what is the message you are sharing? What does it mean to be a servant of the gospel? How do you make sure the gospel message is proclaimed?
As I started to pray through this request, I realized that poetry was the only way I could even begin to answer this question (at least in 750 words)
And here’s what I came up with:
the gospel
in seminary, the bowtied, tweeded professor asked us clergy-to-be a question:
- what is the gospel?
if you can't answer that, he said, you shouldn't go before others to proclaim it.
***
to get there - to even begin to touch on the immensity of what the gospel is -
I felt I first had to work on what the gospel is not:
- the gospel is not to say-a-prayer for 'fire insurance'
- nor is it an in-club for my type, tribe or team to triumph
- it is not a set of rules to follow
- nor is it the notion that my culture, creed or civics are best
- it is not a windblown weathervane to replace a cross, and it is never cheap
- it is not some profession of fundamental purity
- it is not a prop or tool for empires or markets or fascists
- it is not the heresy of church and state or corporation, bedded together
- it is certainly not that my personal ‘jesus’ is better than your ‘jesus’
to get me into life-forever.
***
the word gospel, they taught us, was originally a declaration by the empire.
& proclaimed with pomp to make us cower to the power of emperor Caesar;
a force pounded, hard and brutal, on the scourged backs of slaves.
it is a word that we jesting-Jesus-people
took, tongue in cheek, and gently turned on its head.
***
the Gospel is a person; Jesus – the love Story of all Stories -
of the Creator-Parent-Abba-Amma loving their handiwork so much -
so as to risk a deep dive of downward mobility -
the Word-made-flesh; the scandal of a God – a crying babe in-carné –
the fragility of tender brown skin, the power of surrender,
of nonviolent resistance - the scandal of life, flowing from the blood;
death penalty cross – (yet another of our inversions) - of torture turned to life -
and of life triumphing over all death and evil and sin and violence.
and so, it is we yell fire!
for the gospel is the embodied dancing purifying pentecostal flame
of small sanctifying community, holy ghost subsidiarity,
to share all in common, to offer and receive radical hospitality -
it's the liberation of those hurting, hungry, hoping, in need
the lost, the broken, the discarded, the forgotten, the stung and the sick
that is, for those of us who really need a Saviour.
the gospel is, indeed:
that Jesus loves me, this I know
it’s precious Lord, take my hand -
it's what a friend we have in Jesus
it's Jesus walk with me
it's just a closer walk with Thee
it's just as I am, without one plea
all that - and more - for, it’s not just for me –
but for the whole world, the entire cosmos -
the gospel is the renewal of ALL things –
for all to be set right and free.
ALL ALL ALL
for it’s the love supreme – a love divine, new creation,
perfectly restored in Thee -
realized through that incarnation, life, death, resurrection and ascension
offering deep intimacy with our sibling and friend, the Lord of love.
it is why, even, when it's hard, we dare be beloved community
and do temple-to-table daily,
to enact the sacraments of the bread and wine and of the water –
and the sacrament of the everyday -
for it is the very Way we live, witness & testify to a better Story –
it is to say that to talk about the death of the church is bad theology.
it is the audacious trust that the very Reign of God –
of peace and joy and all that’s just – rooted-radical -
that is, the purgation of all-all-all violence and sorrow and tears,
oppression and sin
gives way to Love, fulfilled, without and within; earth and heaven, tabernacled.
it’s life-abundant – complete renewal – it’s power-with – it’s light and easy –
whole, holy, healed, exorcised - by Lord God almighty -our song rises to Thee -
for it’s resurrected life –
it’s the promise of our good, God-imaged bodies reborn -
and this beautiful, blessed and broken earthy humus home,
made all-new again.
it’s life-eternal, sensuous, shalom, pleasureful, joyful
abiding forever in the luminous presence of the Maker.
above all -
the gospel -
is sheer grace.
***
professor, I took your challenge to heart.
and so, I do proclaim:
I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ
for it is the power of God unto salvation.