εὐαγγέλιον

This is the Greek way of presenting what is translated into English as “Good News”. The word embodies the idea that there is a messenger bringing news. Good News is news is news that is reliable, accurate, and tells the listener something he/she needs to know. It embodies the idea of something which has just happened—that which is news in the newspaper or nightly news sense.

There is not much in the gospels—the good news—which is cheery or light hearted. It is often troubling news which challenges understanding, which challenges predominant narratives. Good news is a contrast to the fake news spouted by Empire. My thinking is that good news, reliable news whether cheery or disturbing, gospel news, the news one needs to hear and understand is losing out to fake news. I’m talking about the fake news of news media whether of Fox News or the New York Times. I’m talking about conspiracy theory news and magical thinking news.

I think we Americans are in pretty deep. I think that despite our veneer of Christianity, we can no longer distinguish between gospel, i.e. reliable, truth telling news and conspiracy theories or magical thinking.