You who bring good news to Zion,
    go up on a high mountain.
You who bring good news to Jerusalem,
    lift up your voice with a shout,
lift it up, do not be afraid;
    say to the towns of Judah,
    “Here is your God!”

We hear the call both to ”go up” and ”lift up”. Christian witness – the bringing of the ”good news” about Jesus – is to be visible and audible. It is true that we increasingly feel squeezed by forces in the culture that show hatred and disdain for Christianity, and we need to tread wisely and carefully. But really, when has it ever been any different? Sensitivity has always been important. Nevertheless, the world needs to see and hear who God is and what He is like: that He is great and good, and that He has shown Himself most clearly in Jesus, the Good Shepherd.

It has been said that we believers are the only ‘Bibles’ some people will ever read.

PRAYER: Lord, in this challenging cultural moment, keep me from giving way to cowardice. I increasingly see how urgently the world needs to hear the good news of the gospel. There is no hope, no real life, outside of Christ. Cause my light to burn ever brighter amid the ‘encircling gloom’.