The Right Time

 

I’ve been scratching my head over things I’ve read recently that try to impart “Christ’s message” as it ‘really is,’ free of propaganda, distortion, and misrepresentation. Lots of words get piled on top of each other in this effort,  and sometimes they even seem to be designed to confuse the issue and leave the reader unable to make much sense out of it at all. So, I decided to go back to the beginning to see if I could find out what exactly is Christ’s message. I went to Mark, because it’s the oldest of the written gospels, and there it was, plain as day, and just as simple:

“The suitable time has been achieved, and the realm of God is right next to you, within your reach. Transform your minds, improve  your principles and practice, and entrust yourselves to this encouraging message.”*

So, let’s junk the old phrases. They’re tired and threadbare, and when we hear them they’re so familiar that we don’t really pay attention to what they really mean. Let’s see what happens if we say things in a different way:

Now is the right time!

It’s never going to get any better than this!

God’s territory is right here next to you! You can cross that divine border anytime!

Shake up your brains; raise your consciousness!

Weigh your values; get more skillful at doing stuff!

Above all, stay strong!

Trust that you’ve got the gist of it, and cheer up!

 

*(A paraphrase, but I took it directly from the translation of the Greek:
“The suitable time”— “kairos— a limited period of time marked by a suitableness of circumstances, a fitting season”
“has been achieved”— “plēroō— to complete, to perfect;  to realize, accomplish, fulfill”
“Transform your minds, improve your principles and practice”— “metanoeō— to undergo a change in frame of mind and feeling, to make a change of principle and practice”
“entrust yourselves”— “pisteuō— intrust, commit to the charge or power of”
“to this encouraging message”— “euangelion— good or joyful news”)