Monday, September 24, 2012
306 - Reporting the Good News
Spirituality
Column #306
September 25, 2012
Current in Carmel – Westfield – Noblesville – Fishers – Zionsville
Author of Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary
Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) thanks E91 pastor Rick Grover for the inspiration and sermon on Mark.
September 25, 2012
Current in Carmel – Westfield – Noblesville – Fishers – Zionsville
Reporting the Good News
By Bob WaltersAuthor of Common Christianity / Uncommon Commentary
News
stories typically use an informational structure known as “the inverted pyramid.”
It refers
to the way a reporter prioritizes, organizes, and presents information. Visualize an upside-down triangle (an
“inverted pyramid”), with the wide base at the top and the smaller point at the
bottom. News is written to tell us the
most important information first, in the lead – the “wide” part – of the
imaginary pyramid. Less important
information comes later in the pyramid’s narrower, descending part. Obviously it’s important not to lose “the
point” in the process.
The inverted
pyramid does a couple of things.
First, it
quickly relays the most important information in case one reads only the first
part of a news story. Second, it makes
the story easy to shorten if space is tight.
Rather than requiring a time-consuming rewrite, the story is simply cut
from the bottom until it fits. The most
important stuff is already up top.
I’m glad
the Gospel writers of the Bible – Matthew, Mark, Luke and John – didn’t cut off
the end of the story as they revealed the truth of Jesus’ ministry. That last part in each of the Gospels about
the death and resurrection of Christ isn’t exactly extraneous information. But as I was reminded listening to a recent
sermon on the Gospel of Mark, it’s really important that we pay close attention
to the first things the Gospel reports – not just the spectacular last things –
of Jesus’ earthly ministry.
The lead
of the “Good News” of the four Gospels, the first thing Jesus did when entering
into his relatively brief but world-changing, life-restoring, and soul-saving
ministry was to be baptized by his
cousin John the Baptist (Mark 1:9). Jesus’ first message? “Repent and believe” (Mark 1:15).
His first ministry invitation / command?
“Follow me” (Mark 1:17).
Too
often, Christians jump straight to the gory and glory parts of faith: crucifixion,
dissecting our sin, being forgiven, rebirth, expecting life ever after, and
then saying to Jesus, “Here’s what I want You to do for me…” When that happens we’ve buried the lead, lost
the joy, missed the story … missed the point.
The
first information of the “Good News” is that we are to be baptized into Jesus Christ by the Holy Spirit; to repent – recognize, apologize, and dry
our eyes – of our sins before Jesus Christ; to believe in Jesus Christ; and to follow
Jesus Christ.
Be baptized, repent, believe, follow.
Now that is the lead to the ultimate Good
News story. That is the lead of
Christ as we write our own story as Christians.
Walters (rlwcom@aol.com) thanks E91 pastor Rick Grover for the inspiration and sermon on Mark.
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