Pastor Larson’s Corner: Have you heard the good news?

Recently an old hotel burned down in the city where my grandson lives. After the fire, he was down watching the clean-up operation along with several other people. The conversation soon turned to what would be done with the now vacant lot in the heart of downtown. As he listened to one person after another tell what they had heard was going to become of the area, he realized that it was all just rumors. My grandson then decided to start his own rumor on the subject and said, “What I heard is that they are going to turn the area into a dog park.” The very next day his rumor appeared on both Facebook and a text he received from a friend.

The combination of the internet and social media now makes it possible for news (and rumors) to spread with lightning speed. It wasn’t that easy 2,000 years ago. When Jesus rose from the grave, this very good news had to be spread by word of mouth. His disciples and followers went out and asked everyone they saw, “Have you heard the good news?” Amazingly, the message of God’s salvation and life spread quickly throughout the known world and now has come down also to us.

Today, as we prepare to celebrate another Easter, we are called to continue to share the good news that Jesus lives and because He lives we shall live also. Perhaps this year we can all share the joy and hope that we find in our faith, both with our social media friends as well as face to face with those we love and care about. Most people today have heard the news that Jesus rose from the dead. They may not have heard how much that fact means to you and what a difference it can make in their lives.

Pastor Larson’s Corner is written by Jerry Larson and appears weekly in the Norwegian American Weekly.

Pastor Jerry Larson retired to his cabin in Zimmerman, Minn., after 39 years in parish ministry for the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. In 2011 he published a book entitled “Speaking the Word Freely: Writing with purpose, preaching with power.” Contact him at jerlarson@visi.com

This article originally appeared in the April 3, 2015, issue of the Norwegian American Weekly. To subscribe, visit SUBSCRIBE or call us at (206) 784-4617.