The Sunday of the Word of God, established in 2019 by Pope Francis, is a truly inspired initiative, calling all the faithful to pay more attention to celebrate and pray with the Word of God. This needed impetus to love God’s word is celebrated annually on the 3rd Sunday of Ordinary time. It is most important to pay special attention to the Bible, the Word of God and the Good News because that Word is Jesus Christ himself who is also God. (John 1:1).
The Letter to the Hebrews describes the Word comprehensively thus: “The word of God is something alive and active: It cuts more incisively than any two-edged sword… No created thing is hidden from him; everything is uncovered and stretched fully open to the eyes of the one to whom we must give account of ourselves.” (Hebrews 4: 12-13) It somehow only echoes the prophet Isaiah who wrote about the Word of God. “… It will not return to me (God) unfulfilled or before having carried out my good pleasure and having achieved what I sent it to do” (Isaiah 55:10-11)
However, we find the clearest evidence of the immense power of God’s word in St. John’s gospel: “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us.” (Jn. Ch1:14) That Word is Jesus!!! Trust the name, call the name, sing the name, live the name and live his word. He himself said: “You are my friends if you do what I tell you” (Jn 5:14). Jesus, in his earliest teaching asked people to repent and believe the good news. (Mark 1: 15) For me, that good news extends even beyond the gospel. Every day of our life produces good news of heroism, sacrifice, kindness, service, faith etc., as well as bad news of conflict, violence disease, injustice etc.
How come then that we hear more of the bad news than the good? How come that more people believe and spread bad news today than good news? Do a test run. What does the world around you prefer to celebrate and love and live. Do you yourself more readily believe good news or bad news when you hear it? Which of these do the media disseminate or celebrate more? Which one do people share faster? Which kind of news do our leaders and politicians generate more? Which one do you yourself seek out and share more in the social media? When last did you forward positive news? Photos, music, videos etc. Which one sells more? Yet, all of us are challenged to know that bad news destroys, but good news transforms and restores to life.
The story of the prophet Jonah is a good example. His bad news to the Ninevites was for their imminent destruction. But he cringed at hearing the good news of their repentance and God’s decision to no longer destroy them. Let us all repent and believe the good news. Acquire it, believe it, love it, share it, and live it. God’s Word is POWERFUL. This is the big contemporary task of every Christian; to spread the good news. Traditionally, there are four gospels, but I conform the great need to revive the fifth one.
That fifth gospel is You and Me. We are the fifth gospel, for we are the Bible that people get to read every day. If we do our job, the world will be saturated with good news, even as bad as things are. That mandate was given to us the day Jesus said: “Go out to the whole world; proclaim the gospel to all creation.” So, make the Bible your best daily companion. Buy it, study it, believe it, love it, share it and live it. Thus, you become the fifth gospel, the one that everybody can read.
• Bishop Emmanuel Adetoyese Badejo is the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Oyo, Nigeria.
