Why should we talk publicly about our faith in Jesus Christ? Well, there’s an intriguing encounter in the Gospels which sheds surprising light on that question … Jesus entered Jerusalem to great public acclaim and riding on a donkey in what we know as “the triumphal entry”, and the people came out into the streets to praise him. The people were vocal and vociferous in their praising of Jesus, saying:
‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Hosanna in the highest heaven!’ When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, ‘Who is this? The crowds answered, ‘This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee’. (Matt 21:9)
The Pharisees and religious authorities were, of course, outraged by this and told Jesus to rebuke his disciples … Make them be quiet, there’s no place for this in our society, there’s no place for this in the public realm. This is indecent. This doesn’t fit in with our social norms. Make them shut up.
But Jesus replies: “if they’re silent, even the rocks will cry out.” (Lk 19:40)
Now, that’s really interesting because what he’s saying is this: that the whole of creation is bursting with the song of God, that its very purpose is to honour God and it is irrepressible. The whole of creation is singing the glory of Christ. And we have a choice. We either join in with the Spirit and all of creation, singing his praises and talking about him, or we allow ourselves to be silenced by the cultural forces and the authorities and the powers around us.
I know what I want. I want increasingly to be in tune with the Spirit of God and the song of creation, and less under the sway of the cultural forces all around me. Because if we’re silent, even the rocks will cry out. God must be glorified, Christ must be proclaimed!
Prayer: Lord, fill my heart with praise for you so that I become an irrepressisble worshipper in actions, songs and words. Help me to tell the world of your glory with a joy an infectious enthusiasm, that resonates with the fabric of creation which was made for your glory! Amen.