The doctor reluctantly dialed the number. A recent patient had suffered terrible injuries playing baseball, and the doctor needed to inform the young man that his prognosis was grim. As the phone rang, the doctor searched for a gentle way to deliver the news. He decided to tell a joke:

Baseball player: “Doctor, will I ever play again?”
Doctor: “Well, I have good news and bad news.”
Baseball player: “What’s the good news?”
Doctor: “I heard they play baseball in heaven.”
Baseball player: “That’s great! What’s the bad news?”
Doctor: “You’re next up to bat.”

In hindsight, this was probably not the best approach, but as people called to proclaim the Gospel, we can relate to those who have good and bad news to tell.

The Bad News of the Gospel

It seems counterintuitive that the Gospel would contain bad news. Doesn’t the word “Gospel” mean “good news”? While the Gospel is certainly an announcement of great goodness, it also has a flip side, a warning to go with the promise.

The bad news of the Gospel has to do with the tragic realities that make the good news necessary: Evil is real. It destroys truth, happiness, peace, order, and life. It creates deception, suffering, division, chaos, disorder, and death. It wreaks havoc in the hearts and minds of individuals. It spreads to communities and infects even the natural world in which we live.

There are also lesser evils, things like mediocrity, laziness, selfishness, and half-heartedness. But, even these must be taken seriously. Lesser evils pave the way for greater ones. They ease the way towards our destruction. As C. S. Lewis wrote, “Indeed, the safest road to Hell is the gradual one, the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.”

Why the Bad News Is Necessary

The Gospel message acknowledges that sin is real, Hell is real, and our sins have consequences, both in this life and in the next.

This bad news is necessary because many people, including many Christians, have trouble facing the realities of sin. In the “shame culture” we live in, there’s no room for repentance and confession. The primary value is saving face. This means we go to great lengths to maintain appearances and avoid confronting the consequences of sin, both for ourselves and others.

If that weren’t enough, many of us don’t want to give up our sins. We like them too much. They bring us “comfort.” Sometimes, these sins are our only mechanisms for coping with the anxieties of life. We are attached to our sins and we can’t let go.

So, we deliver the bad news to awaken people to these realities. It’s a somber message, it’s not easy to preach, and we certainly don’t lead with it. But, it must be told.

Thankfully, there’s much more to the Gospel than that.

The Good News of the Gospel

If the Gospel was only bad news, then Adam and Eve’s story would have concluded with curses: “Snake, slither and eat dirt. Woman, feel pain in childbirth. Man, toil in the fields. The end.”

But, that wasn’t the end. Instead, God made a promise, which He put squarely to the serpent:

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your seed and her seed;
he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

Theologians call this “the first Gospel,” and when we unpack it we can see why. Who is the “seed of a woman” who will crush the head of the serpent? Jesus. This means that God always desired to send us His Son to defeat sin, suffering, death, and every evil.

In Jesus we have the courage to confront our sins and the grace to overcome them.

In Jesus we have the strength to do good and resist evil.

In Jesus, we have the hope of eternal happiness.

That’s worth at least some pitch-and-catch with St. Peter.

Nicholas Hardesty

When I was a kid, I used to hate making my bed. To me, it just didn’t make any sense. Why am I making my bed when I’m just going to mess it up again? Is someone coming over? If not, why bother?

But, despite my protests, I had to make my bed every day. My mom required it. I’m sure she had her reasons, and she may have even told me what they were. But, the only one I remember is, “Because I said so” – and that made me resist even more.

Do as I Say

As an adult, I’ve tried to avoid using “Because I said so” as a reason for anything. I thought I was doing a good job of that, too. But, recently, a friend brought me to a surprising revelation: I use that argument in my work all the time.

“You are obligated by your Baptism to proclaim the gospel” – ever heard that one before? I say it on a regular basis, and the Church does, too! For example, from the Code of Canon Law:

“Since the whole Church is by its nature missionary and the work of evangelization must be held as a fundamental duty of the people of God, all the Christian faithful, conscious of their responsibility, are to assume their part in missionary work.” (Can. 781)

That sounds a lot like “Because I said so,” doesn’t it?

It’s not that Canon Law is wrong. It’s important to acknowledge our Christian obligations. The problem arises when we only talk about evangelization as a fundamental duty, without mentioning the good to be obtained. There are in fact many goods to be had when we evangelize, both for the evangelizer and the one being evangelized.

What’s in It for Them

The stranger receives many goods when he hears and receives the gospel: the remission of sins; the hope of resurrection and eternal life; a changed life devoted to the good and the salvation of others. All of these benefits are promised by Jesus to anyone who professes and lives by faith.

There are also more natural and human needs that are met by evangelization. When someone receives the gospel, he receives friendship, community, and membership in a family. He receives peace, joy, and the reason for living. He receives Love Itself.

These are all tremendous goods, and loving your neighbor means striving to give them to him.

What’s in It for Me

When you evangelize, you step into your authentic identity.

We tend to think of missionary discipleship as something you work up to. You start as a seeker or a lukewarm Christian. Then you commit your life to Jesus. Then you become a missionary disciple, someone who is bringing others into that same committed life. But, in Evangelii Gaudium, Pope Francis makes a startling statement: we are, all of us, already missionary disciples.

“In virtue of their baptism, all the members of the People of God have become missionary disciples (cf. Mt 28:19). All the baptized, whatever their position in the Church or their level of instruction in the faith, are agents of evangelization …” (no. 120).

Isn’t that amazing!

According to another Francis, St. Francis de Sales, the key to holiness is to be who you are, and be that well. This is what evangelization does for the evangelizer. The discipleship path is not about becoming something you aren’t already. It’s about leaning into a present reality. It’s about being who you are, and being that well.

Of course, there’s also much more at stake. Evangelizing strengthens your faith. It grants you the assurance that you are following God’s will. It brings more hope, love, and joy to your life, since these are only increased as they are given away.

Come to think of it, evangelization is as rewarding as a perfectly-made bed at the end of the day. Perhaps my mom was on to something, after all.

Nicholas Hardesty

Venerable archbishop Fulton Sheen liked to say that there are two ways to start the day: One is to say, “Good morning, God.” The other is to say, “Good God, morning!” To some, every day is a gift. To others, it is a rude awakening.

In his book Life Is Worth Living, Sheen says that the anxiety and listlessness that makes life a drudgery is often rooted in an ignorance – and sometimes even an avoidance – of the purpose and meaning of life.

The Ultimate Question

Many people don’t have meaning and they don’t want meaning because they’re afraid to face a fundamental question: “Why is life worth living?” They’re afraid there is no answer.

Why do you think life is worth living? Before you continue reading, spend a few minutes in prayer coming up with an answer. Every Christian needs an answer. What’s yours?

Recently, I decided to share this question on Facebook. I received a wide variety of responses.

Some posted photos of their friends and family – loved ones make life worth living. Others suggested the potential to grow or the promise of change – hope of a better life makes life worth living. Some, perhaps tongue-in-cheek, shared the things they enjoy. Hockey, pizza, cats, coffee, tacos – the pleasures of the world make life worth living. One friend said that participation in family, culture, and society makes life worth living.

The Ultimate Answer

In a sense, all of these reasons are true. They certainly bring excitement and happiness to life. Some reasons, such as family and friends, help us focus on “the other,” which frees us from the never-ending desire to please ourselves. There is a liberation there that brings new purpose to life and makes life worth living.

But, what if we took all of that away? What if we took away friends, family, and grandkids? What if we took away participation in society? What if we took away sports, food, and cute little kittens? Would life be worth living then?

This is more than just a hypothetical scenario. The loss of everything actually happens to people. It happens to drug addicts, strung out and living on the street. It happens to migrant children separated from their parents. It happens to innocent people languishing on death row. It happened to Job.

Some people are almost entirely deprived of beautiful things, loving people, and endless possibility. This is why, in the final analysis, the reasons I’ve listed so far are good, but not good enough. We must have a better reason for why life is worth living.

I think that reason is Heaven.

The Ultimate Ending

Heaven is the reason for life and the reason for your existence. Heaven is the reason for everything! God loves you and desperately desires a perfect relationship with you. That’s what Heaven is.

Of course, the only way to get there is to go through life first. And that’s not always easy.

Life is hard. It’s filled with injustice, pain, sickness, and sadness. Sometimes life doesn’t seem worth it at all. But, what if we looked at life a little differently? What if we looked at life from God’s perspective?

The thing about pain is that it can deceive us into thinking that pain is all there is. But, God sees the entire trajectory of life and the afterlife. From His perspective, this life and all its pain is a blink, a fraction of a moment, compared to the eternal joy and love that awaits us.

St. Paul lived life from God’s perspective, and his words are a great consolation whenever life gets too overwhelming:

“I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Rom 8:18). “For this slight momentary affliction is preparing for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison” (2 Cor 4:17).

Eternal glory beyond all comparison! That’s what awaits us, that’s what we live for, that’s what you were created for, and that’s reason enough for a million mornings.

Nicholas Hardesty