Two thousand years ago the itinerant preacher known as Jesus, son of Joseph, the carpenter, and his wife, Mary, lived a simple life in a rural area of Galilee in northern Israel. Fishing and agriculture were the two main industries. It should be no surprise that Jesus talked to the people in this time about interests of which they were familiar, but we are not.
Jesus understood this way before newspapers and on-line outlets were created. St. Mark’s Gospel for the 11th Sunday in Ordinary Time this weekend illustrates for us how Jesus used simple stories known as parables to explain how God’s kingdom works and how people needed to follow the ways He taught them.
Listening to parables can be difficult for us to understand because of the sophistication of our society these days. For those who live in an urban area we are more likely to purchase fish or plants. People then grew their produce or went out on boats to catch fish to eat or sell.
However, what is important as it relates to
having a relationship with God is how we talk to others about it. Do we quote
Scripture, give definitions from the Catechism or give homilies or sermons
which either scare or put listeners on notice? I have found out that it is best
to share your story of how you are a Christian and how you practice your faith.
Be honest, do not embellish and be brief. People want to hear things that make sense to them that they can do and do not need to necessarily put a lot of planning into it. It is not a sales pitch, just a conversation that made and continues to make a better difference in one’s life about a relationship with God. The same thing is true when it relates to writing and reading.
According to readability experts, Rudolf Flesch and J. Peter Kincaid, news outlets written or presented for the public to understand is on a sixth-grade level. The reasoning behind it is that if a standard is set which can be followed by many people, it must be made easy enough so that from the simplest to hardest information must be offered so all can be taught in a multitude of ways.
Over complicating an idea often turns people off and they tend to ignore what was said. Jesus’ main theme about loving God and all that was created by following His ways, is something that can be accomplished. What it takes is a commitment based on accepting the message and a course of action to take.
Homilies are never supposed to be longer than the reading, Psalm and Gospel (approximately seven minutes). Jesus was short and direct, allowing the listener to decide what he or she will do. The next time you have an opportunity to share God’s news of everlasting life, just remember to be honest, do not embellish and be brief.
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