well, hey, that's GREAT!

the Gospel! the Good News!

what's so new about having an afterlife of bliss and happiness? isnt that what every religion, to one degree or another, claims to give folks? so what's the big deal with Christianity? why did Christ, God, Who knew what all these other religions had to say, come down here just to tell us about a glorious afterlife?

"Here's the Good News, folks! straight from God Himself! here it is: there's an afterlife and you only got to believe in me to get there! great, huh?! yeah! oh sure, the other guys have an afterlife, too, but theirs isnt real. mine is the real afterlife, complete with worshiping me for the rest of eternity! woo!"

i'd call that "Decent Old-Hat Story."

the Good News is that we can live, now, the Way we were intended to-- in Real, Right Relationship with each other and God. we've been given the right and the authority to know God (eternal life, John17.3) and to live like Him, as Him, NOW. not later, not after, but fully, completely NOW. here. now. henow.

we can bring this "afterlife" this "Paradise" to the present moment in this present space. we can turn this unreality into Reality. it's our right and our privilege. Pure Truth, Fully Alive. US! it's good, it's new, it's Good News!

who else is talking about redeeming the physical world and taking care of it? who else is talking about justice for the weak, hurt and oppressed? who else is more concerned with the person over there that we dont know and might even be afraid of than he is for himself? who else is willing to leave "brothers and sisters and mothers and fathers and fields" and self for the sake of ushering every person, creature and aspect of space/time into the Presence of God? who else but Jesus Christ and those whom He indwells?

"EXTRA! EXTRA! READ ALL ABOUT IT! CHRISTIANITY-- NOT YOUR SAME OLD SHIT!"