The good news

"It need not just be about religion or doctrine, but must also speak about politics, or economics, or even the most mundane human experience."

The word “Gospel” is derived from the Old English godspel, which means good news. In present day use, it is used to refer to the four written accounts off the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. It is interesting to note that Christ did not write any of the Gospels himself, and far from being an eyewitness report, all four canonical Gospels now found in the Bible were written years after his death and resurrection.

There are four traditionally ascribed evangelists, or Gospel-writers in the New Testament: Matthew, the tax-collector-turned-disciple; Mark, the travel-companion of Peter; Luke the companion to Paul, and John, the beloved disciple and the only one of the Twelve who was spared from a martyr’s death. While several biblical scholars would argue that none of the four wrote the Gospels attributed to them in their entirety, and parts of which were instead composed by their disciples or other writers, the fact that these are narratives by the four contemporaries of Jesus remain indisputable.

I make no pretenses about being a bible expert. But I have often questioned whether to what extent Matthew’s background as a tax collector, or Mark or Luke’s affinity to Peter and Paul or even John’s long life have influenced their personal narrative of Jesus’ life and ministry, which we now accept as the foundational truths of the Christian faith.

This interests me because Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were ordinary persons—just like you and me. They must be as amazed as I would have been seeing Jesus turn water into wine, restoring sight to the blind or raising the dead back to life. They must have argued among themselves what Jesus really meant when he asked them to love their enemies or when said blessed are the poor, those in mourning and those persecuted. Or imagine the despair, grief and frustration that they had to go through, when their Master and Lord, whom they believed to be the glorious Messiah who would liberate Israel from the Romans was sentenced to death and crucified on the cross.

This leads me to the question—what if I stood as one of the of the four evangelists? How differently would have written the Gospel according to me?

Even if by the time the Gospels were written, the evangelists understood more fully his divine mission, it was their personal experience and memories from the time when they were but unassuming companions to Jesus that ultimately shaped and provided context to their narratives.

That probably explains why, when referring in his writings to the Christian message, the apostle Paul used the Greek word euangélion, which is translated literally in English as “good news.” How can it not be good news when the saving purpose of Christ was now revealed fully to Matthew the once-tax-collector, or Mark who was discipled by the fisherman Peter, or Luke, who left his medical practice to follow the once-persecutor Paul, or John who to the end took care of Mary, the mother of Jesus?

What better news could be than the what the familiar Biblical phrase perfectly encapsulates, “For God so loved the world, that he gave us his only Son.” (John 3:16)

So here and now, what is the Good News to me?

Sadly, we live in a time that is naïve to the idea of good news. It is often said, “Bad news sells.” News about a huge scandal, or a heinous crime almost always makes it to the front page, and it is usual for readers to skim over the good news and would rather choose to read in detail the bad news.

When you read through the Gospels, it is interesting to note that Christ did not only preach about things of God, more than often than not, he would teach about things of this world—about love for others, submission to legitimate authority, and the ordering of society. His teaching revealed much about secular realities as it did with religious truth.

So the Good News according to us need not just be about religion or doctrine—so must it also speak about politics, or economics, or even the most mundane human experience.

And just like Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, I write from the perspective of faith.

A silent dichotomy exists today, where it is no longer appropriate to mix matters of faith and the world. The constitutional dictum of separation of faith and state has been wrongly used as a gag order on church leaders to speak about the doctrinal and moral dimension of everyday realities. Church leaders who are brave enough to speak are quickly silenced, or worst shunned by even their closest collaborators. Probably that is why some of them chose to be silent.

I am not just referring to the church hierarchy, but even the ordinary Christians—the same who flock the churches on Sundays, yet choose to turn a blind eye to injustice, hate and poverty for the rest of the week. On Sunday mass, they recite the creed with conviction, but on other days, they easily concede to half-truths and readily put-off their Christian witness.

I think it is high time for religion to find its public voice once more—not just in matters of faith­—but in politics, economics, arts and culture.

In an increasingly secularized society, it is important to reinforce that our creed becomes a critical criteria in arriving at our societal judgements.

Then, it would have been as we would have written the Gospel according to me.

That Gospel would speak with conviction on matters of objective morality, even when many consider that standards of morality are relative. That Gospel would point out the importance of charity and compassion, when others believe that we live in world of ruthless competition. That Gospel would command us that while faith is personal, it is never private—and that our religious beliefs must ultimately shape our own convictions about public matters.

Come to think of it, the four Gospels had a lot to say about the politics and economics of Jesus’ time. Didn’t he say, “Give to Cesar what is due to Cesar.” (Matt 22:21)?

And then he continues with the less quoted phrase, “And to God, the things that are God’s.” (Matt 22:21).

This is the Fifth Gospel.

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Mr. Acidre’s background is in youth development, organizational management and political party operations

Born in Tacloban City and raised in the town of Barugo, Leyte he represented the Philippines during the Inaugural Conference for Young Political Leaders of Asia and Europe held in Beijing and Tianjin, China in 2005. He became part of 6th National Parliament in 2006 held in Tagbilaran, Bohol. In 2011, he was selected to be part of the 38th Philippine Contingent to the Ship for Southeast Asian Program (SSEAYP), an international diplomatic and cultural exchange that bring the top young leaders from Japan and the ASEAN member states.

In the aftermath of typhoon Haiyan, he served as Country Director ad interim of the International Emergency and Development Aid (IEDA RELIEF), a US-based international humanitarian agency. In 2014, he also started Praxis Associates Philippines, an organization development consulting team.

His column, The Fifth Gospel, will appear on Mondays.