Good News to Share

The bearer of glad tidings was a real mountain man, ragged and unkempt, hewn from the crags of a rugged terrain. I overheard him talking with another camper as I walked into the bathhouse. 

“Been hiking these mountains for years,” he began, “but I’ve never seen a more gorgeous view than I saw yesterday.” 

 

“Came upon it by accident,” he continued. “Ventured off the main trail up an unmarked path through the woods. The path ended on a rock outcropping, and from there I saw a sight that almost took my breath away. Mountains, valleys, forests, and lakes surrounded me. I’ve never seen anything more beautiful! And as I walked away, I knew I had to share.”

After describing this place of unmatched splendor, he began giving directions. I listened carefully. On the next day, my family and I followed the old-timer’s directions and, sure enough, he was right. At the end of an arduous climb, down a path less traveled, we saw a vista of breathtaking beauty; and at that moment I was thankful for the mountain man who felt the need to share.

That was over thirty years ago and every time I get a chance I take the hike again. In fact, I made the trek last month while my wife and I were camping in Colorado, and the view did not disappoint.

Last month, as I walked away from this vista of grandeur, I began to feel sorry for the many hikers who never leave the main trail. As I thought about the man who had previously shared with me, I began to feel a sense of responsibility, an obligation to pass on the good news that had been passed on to me. 

So, I came up with an idea. As I reached the main trail on my return trip, I stopped and constructed a cairn, a pile of rocks marking the place where one needs to leave the trail. Then on my return trip to the trailhead, I stopped almost every hiker I encountered to be sure my fellow travelers knew about the beautiful view and the cairn that marked the way.  Good news always carries with it a sense of obligation. Selfish is the one who enjoys God’s blessings without feeling the need to share.

  

Each month, I’ll be writing an article similar to this one because I feel the need to share good news. As pastor of Rutledge Baptist Church, I’ve discovered, in my congregation, a beauty unequaled; a heavenly landscape of grace and love that has too long been ignored. So in the days and years to come, I want to share some of that beauty with you. 

So get out your hiking boots and come along. Come walk with me down this path less traveled as we explore good news that demands to be shared.