There are terms that are used in the Scriptures and within the context of the Christian community. One of those terms is "gospel," which comes from the Greek language meaning "good news."
In this essay, I would like to give the concept of "gospel" a new spin, while retaining the element of good news.
When we hear the word "gospel," we tend to think of either one of the four accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) or a sermon preached by a Christian minister. In either case, the Gospel is associated with the life and person of Jesus of Nazareth.
In most cases, the focus is on what God has done on behalf of humanity through Jesus, i.e. liberating humanity from the consequences of individual and collective sin, and preparing them for eternal life in "heaven." More often than not, the emphasis is on the hereafter. I would also add, that after much practice, the word "gospel" becomes a slogan that is used in worship services. I say "slogan," because it is used habitually without giving much thought to the meaning of the word. Furthermore, we act and live as if the Gospel were intended exclusively for those within the community of faith.
Here I am proposing that we take the word "gospel" out of the context of the community of faith (the Church), and apply it to the historical reality of humankind with its bad and good experiences. If the Gospel has nothing to do with reality as we know it, then it is a fairy tale or myth to be discarded and totally rejected. Any claim to proclaim a message entitled "gospel," which does not touch on cultural, economic, political, and social reality, is an exercise in futility and semantics. It is mental gymnastics and a play on words.
I will begin by saying that the concept of "gospel" does not begin in the New Testament. It begins with God calling Moses and saying to him, "I have heard the cry of my people, and have descended to help and deliver them." God commissioned Moses to proclaim to the Hebrews a "gospel" of liberation. In other words, Moses was called to give the Hebrews that good news that the time for the end of their bondage and oppression had come. The "good news" had an element of denunciation, i.e. God was not happy with the condition of people living in physical servitude and was acting to bring about freedom from that condition.
The concept of "gospel" continued throughout the prophetic books. Through the prophets, God made it clear to the people that their neglect of the needy, the orphans, the poor, and the widows was not acceptable. The good news was that God was speaking to and about their condition, and that God was acting in history to dismantle these conditions and structures of oppression and dehumanization.
In the New Testament, the concept of "gospel," was that in Jesus the Christ, God was finalizing the process of human liberation from all degrading conditions. All dehumanizing conditions were judged in the light of the Gospel, and subsequently condemned.
Any claim that the Gospel of Jesus was exclusively a "spiritual" message that had or has nothing to do with existing political or social conditions is not the Gospel of Jesus. Any message that claims to be "gospel," while remaining within the confines of the Church, is not the message of Jesus.
The Gospel is a cosmic and historical act on the part of God in the world, denouncing all policies and structures that destroy the image of God in humans, and that suppress the aspirations and goals of God for the human race. Any attempt to retain the Gospel as a religious term goes contrary to the purposes of God in history. The Gospel is the good news that God is acting in history, even in those spheres where things look bleak and ugly.
The Gospel denounces classism, racism, sexism, and all those "isms" that set out to destroy God's creation. The Gospel includes, but is not limited to environmental conservation. The Gospel speaks against people being defamed and mistreated because of their sexual orientation. The Gospel protests all institutional and political systems that prevent people from achieving their maximum potential.
I invite you the reader, to share with us, your concept of "gospel," and how that concept differs or is similar to that presented in this essay. Through your contribution, we will be in a much better position to proclaim and live out a more realistic and responsible Gospel message.
In the Name of the Creator, and of the Liberator, and of the Sustainer. Amen.
Dr. Juan A. Ayala-Carmona
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