”Go therefore and make disciples of all nations…” (Matthew 28:19)
Hippocrates was a Greek physician and philosopher who lived in the 5th century BC. Hippocrates’ advice to take 1000 steps after a meal was part of his medical wisdom.
Søren Kierkegaard also recommended going for a walk every day. It gave him well-being. He believed that one could get rid of most illnesses by taking daily walks. The daily walk helped him overcome heavy thoughts.
Jesus ordered His disciples went on to proclaim: »Go therefore and make disciples of all nations… and behold, I am with you always, even to the end of the age« (Matthew 28:19-20).
The gospel must reach to the ends of the earth, even to the unreached peoples, where the name of Christ is hardly mentioned. This is not a human project, but God’s own sending, where the Father sends the Son and the Holy Spirit, and where the church shares in that movement. Therefore, help is needed for the persecuted and mission among the unreached. Persecuted Christians remind us that the church has lived under the cross from the beginning. Jesus prepared his disciples for opposition: »They have persecuted me, and they will also persecute you« (cf. John 15).
The persecuted Christians are our brothers and sisters. Help them through prayer, diaconal work, political and practical support – is not an optional extra, but a fruit of the gospel. We have found a joy in meeting Jesus. That joy must be shared. It is good to go.
By the vicar of Herlev Church, Jens Kaltoft
