Another messenger...

Been reading about John the Baptist this week in my guided readings. Talk about a guy who brought the message with some passion...wild man, crazy beard, camel hair shirt, eating locusts and honey...when the religious folks come to see him, it's not a welcome and glad you are here. Rather, he busts out with "You brood of vipers...who told YOU to repent?!?" Wow...not the most positive approach to evangelism, but to the point!

That is another angle of this whole messenger deal. Christmas is fun to talk about, the gift of salvation coming to us in a harmless baby, all about God's love. But it can't end there -- part of sharing the good news demands that we be able to explain that we are all in NEED of a Savior -- that there is something, our sin, separating us from God and that that is a big part of the reason Jesus came. It is not a fun or comfortable thing to hear from each other that we are sinful, that we need saving, but being a messenger of Jesus' goodness demands we be willing and able to convey both aspects of the story.

John's approach might be a bit strong in some instances, but we might all benefit from a little wildman occasionally.