“Nearby shepherds were living in the fields, guarding their sheep at night. The Lord’s angel stood before them, the Lord’s glory shone around them, and they were terrified. The angel said, “Don’t be afraid! Look! I bring good news to you—wonderful, joyous news for all people.”
Luke 2:8-10
I was recently studying this passage with friends. Someone pointed out the curious location of Christ’s birth announcement. Why didn’t the Lord’s angel deliver this news to Caesar in Rome or the high priest in the Temple?
Maybe because this announcement was intended to reach far beyond the elite at society’s center. This good news, this wonderful, joyous news was for all people.
The way the world typically works is that the best things are reserved for a small percentage of people. The privileged feast while the marginalized, if they’re lucky, feed on table scraps. But in God’s kingdom the table is big enough to seat everyone. John Franke describes the kingdom as “a community of love where everyone has enough and no one needs to be afraid.”
The gospel of Jesus Christ is good news for all people. As Christians, we’re called to be Christ’s witnesses to the ends of the earth, and maybe that means loving our communities from the outside-in.
– Justin
Mission Street Fellowship 
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