Evangelization is urgent! One of the things that disturbs me most in my own life is the countless distractions from what is most important and figuring out how to continue to live life in the Holy Spirit, allowing distractions to be a means of sanctification by doing whatever needs to be done as an offering to the Lord.[1] At times, I think, wouldn’t I be better off living a different life where I worked a job to make money to pay the bills, and then focused on simply being out ministering to people and evangelizing the rest of the time? Mind you, I’m a priest!
The Lord Challenges Us in Mission
Well, a conversation involves two sides, and that was my side of the story. The Lord has the other side, and I’m grateful he’s merciful. I feel him challenging me to find ways to let evangelization seep into the cracks of everyday life – into every phone call, interaction with the neighbors, and meetings, and not just in consecrated mission time. When I think about how indifferent it seems that a vast swath of humanity is to Jesus, faith, and a life of devotion that is truly life-giving, at least to some of the swaths of humanity I’m acquainted with … it’s disturbing and saddening. This drives my sense of the urgency of evangelization.
Now, I’ll visit the dumps, but I’m not about staying there. It’s a reality-check and an encouragement that the world around me needs what I’ve got, and I’ve got a need to give it as best as I can because that’s how the Lord living in me operates. He hasn’t stopped the rescue mission, and he hasn’t stopped preparing places in the Father’s house. But on the other hand, no matter how man has tried to manipulate it, the road to salvation[2] hasn’t gotten mysteriously wider; and yes, hell is still real.
Even so, all things are possible with Christ. Even at the grimmest of funerals that I’ve celebrated (and I’ve had a few where I couldn’t find an inkling of evidence of faith from the testimony of others regarding the person who passed), we do our best to have hope in God’s power and mercy as we pray for the repose of the person’s soul. I’ve also celebrated funerals where after the rite of committal a celebration of praise has broken out around the gravesite with singing to God and rejoicing because everyone knew this person clearly died in a state of grace, in deep intimate friendship with God.
Death and Judgment Spur Us On
The reality of death and judgment, then, reminds us of the urgency of evangelization. For this reason, funerals (not only for priests and deacons) are a very good time to talk about faith, in appropriate ways of course and with sensitivity. Likewise, as the Holy Spirit prompts us to evangelize or when, without feeling any specific prompt, we make the choice to share in the mission with God by freely entering into an evangelization situation, it’s good to remember that we don’t know the impact that this effort is going to have on the person – our proclamation and invitation might be (whether we know about it or not) what leads someone into a relationship with Jesus. In these cases, sometimes it’s hope that moves us forward, with urgency, to share the Gospel.
[1] Colossians 3:23.
[2] Matthew 7:14.