To Nickels or Current Resident

Like everyone else, I love receiving mail. E-mail, regular mail, postcards, whatever. It makes me feel important. And like everyone else, I do not like receiving the 80,000 pieces of junk mail I receive each week, for precisely the opposite reason. When I look at an envelope that states “Resident” on the front, I feel anonymous, unimportant. If my name is spelled in some bizarre way – a way that indicates the sender’s utter lack of a personal relationship with me –  I feel even less than anonymous, since someone did not bother to at least spell my name correctly.

Mark 1:14-18
“After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!"  16 As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. 17 "Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men."  18 At once they left their nets and followed him.” 

The words for angel and gospel have the same root in the original language (Greek) of the New Testament. Both have to do with messages from God. The word for angel is “angelos,” which mean messenger, and the word for gospel is “euangellion,” which means good message. When Jesus shouts out about the good message, He is saying, “Finally! The waiting is over! The time of the Kingdom of God is near.” We should rejoice that we can be part of that Kingdom, a real community, and a place to grow and heal and work. And that message is addressed to each and every one of us personally, with all names spelled correctly.