The Gospels report that even during the public ministry of Jesus, he would send out the apostles to spread the message of salvation. Jesus gave them some marching orders and then they “set out and went from village to village proclaiming the good news and curing diseases everywhere.” That sounds like good criteria for us to have as we think about our own efforts to bring the message of Jesus into the world. First, we need to present good news. Pope Francis has stressed the “joy of the gospel” as the good news people need to hear. And, while we can’t work miracles, we can “cure” the diseases of division, of hate, of hostility by reminding people that we are all children of God.
