Reflection for the Week - September 24

When it comes to the discernment of diversion from the gospel, we require a fine balance between trust and suspicion; trusting trust and suspicion and being suspicious of trust and suspicion, in relationship to the referents for both. Cunning rhetoric and lofty speech are powerful players that can divert believers’ attention from sincere devotion to Christ. To receive someone’s words is therefore a continual challenge; a task and a joy. We want to be listening carefully, as there are multitudes of ways in which people portray the gospel; health, wealth, and consumerism being just three of a diversity of bogus representations that are set in place as substitutes for the real thing. Let’s face it, in our day and age, gospel can mean just about anything people want it to, unless it is diligently described and its sense and referent tracked by careful research and study of the biblical text.