There’s a prophecy in Isaiah, that says this:

In some translations, this is written in third person singular (How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of Him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings good tidings, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, “Your God reigns!). And it understood to be foretelling Jesus, who stood in the synagogue and read from the scroll of Isaiah, declaring his mission as one of proclaiming “good news to the poor, freedom for the prisoners, recovery of sight for the blind, freedom for the oppressed and the year of the Lord’s favour,” which are words from just a little later in Isaiah (chapter 61:1,2; read by Jesus in Luke 4:18,19).

But I admit to you that I rather love this translation. Which says to me that all of us who follow Jesus are invited into that mission. We who follow Jesus are those who bring good news. We do it with word and with deeds. We do it year in and year out. We do it in big ways and small ways. We do it for those we know and those we will never meet.

And it honours Jesus, the original one to bring good news.

It may be hard this year, as we struggle with so many difficult things – a pandemic, an awakening to the racial inequality of our countries, wild fires that burn out of control, floods, famine – to remember that it is still our job to bring good news. Every day.

And yet, that is our mission. That is our way of honouring God who has done more for us than we could ask or imagine. That is who we are called to be.

Dear friends, until tomorrow, keep on showing up for the mission. Keep on showing grace. Keep on bringing good news in all that you do. How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of you, who follow Jesus!