Day 10: Gospel

I periodically find myself asking “What is the good news of the Gospel?” In our world full of strife, suffering, and hardship, I suspect that most believers in Christ occasionally ponder the same question.

At our Thanksgiving celebration this year, the eighteen guests, including two children, responded to one of three prompts: “I am thankful for…”, “The core of my gratitude is…”, or “The good news is…”.

The responses spanned a spectrum:

Family. Sunrises – Sunsets & everything in between. Walks through the woods experienced with friends. Laughing uncontrollably. Adventures. Hugs. Good will. Being appreciated and loved by others. Shared meals. Community. Toys (in particular the spitting llama game). An archeological dig site. Good books. Each new day. Simple living.  The power of love. Hope. Safety. Fulfilling work. New challenges. Grace. A home. Faith. The golden light when the sun drops below the low hanging clouds. The “Chance” circumstances that bring us together. The cycle of renewal even with its momentary discomforts. That at every moment we can choose to love.

All of these reflections of gratitude point to the good news. They speak of the closeness of the kingdom of heaven in our everyday lives, resonant of Jesus’ first words in the Gospel of Matthew, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

As Christmas Day and the celebration of the birth of Jesus approach, here are a few questions for your reflection:

Have you taken time this Advent to repent, to change your focus and mindset to consider all that you are grateful for? 

How would you finish: “The good news is…”?

What do you do in your home and community to make the good news of the Gospel apparent to others?

I hope you have a blessed and merry Christmas full of the good news of the birth of Jesus Christ.

Dr. Hans Dethlefs is a native of Omaha, Nebraska where he attended Creighton University. Prior to studying medicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center he spent a semester as a volunteer in Tijuana, Mexico with a group of Franciscan Sisters. He trained in family medicine in Wichita Kansas. Shortly after his training he spent three years in Ocotepque, Honduras as a volunteer with Unbound. His focus during that time was working with children who were sponsored through Unbound, and collaborating with a group of Franciscan Sisters caring for severely malnourished children. Hans has worked since 2000 at a community health center in south Omaha that serves the primarily Hispanic population of that area. Since 2012 Hans has worked as the medical director for an Omaha-based non-profit called Chronic Care International (CCI). CCI provides care to patients with chronic diseases like diabetes and high blood pressure in the Dominican Republic. Hans’ wife, Andrea, is an elementary education teacher, and they have 3 adult children, Allison, Chris, and Rachel. Allison was an FMS volunteer in Bolivia.