Of Malls and Evangelization

There's a Mega Mall in Sharjah, UAE! This is of course, not a branch of Shoe Mart (SM) from the Philippines -- which too has its own Mega Mall.  Every time Filipinos in the vicinity point at the establishment, it reminds them of home.

Speaking of malls, Dubai had recently announced to build the "Mall of the World"; aimed to be the biggest mall---you guessed it---in the world! I surmise that if any country wants to build the next big thing it will then be the 'Mall of the Universe'.

 Malls accommodate interested businesses who are willing to rent space to sell merchandise or render services to the droves of people that it attracts.  More people come if the malls have something interesting to offer -- like a free concert or a big sale, creating "buzz".

Dubai's Mall of the World. Photo from businessinsider.com

Connecting this to the work of evangelization: are we still aiming for a "mega" evangelization and relentlessly pursuing a "world" evangelization? Are we innovating---using new expressions, new methods, and new ardor---to "attract" people to our evangelization programs or activities? Are they "interesting" enough? Are we witnessing enough? Does our evangelization approach create "buzz"?

We learn to evangelize by the example of Jesus' first disciples who could not stop talking about the Resurrection: "It is impossible for us not to speak about what we have seen and heard." (Acts 4:20) What is this fact---that they have seen and heard--- that emboldened the first Christian community? Benedict XVI gives us a powerful perspective in his book, The God of Jesus Christ: "The Resurrection teaches us something that now possesses eternal validity: he (Jesus Christ) is man. He remains man forever ... This is the hope of man, the Christian joy, the Good News: even to this day, he is man." Further, Benedict XVI stresses: "God loves us in such a way that his Word became flesh and remains flesh. This joy ought to be the strongest impulse and the strongest force in us, leading us to communicate it to others...".  Through the Resurrection---the Good News---we can now enter Heaven and partake in the life of love exchange of the Holy Trinity!

We can formulate many "evangelization strategies", but if we miss the point of the Resurrection -- and how it is truly Good News, then the initial hype will die down.  The exciting message of the Resurrection---that He is risen---should be felt in our speech and in our deeds.  The effective "evangelization package" so to speak, then naturally flows and realized.

We continue to depend and surrender to the inner promptings of the Holy Spirit to lead us to share about the resurrection in a "new evangelizing way" that attracts droves of people to the Lord.  Then, can we genuinely have "mega" and "world" evangelization happening; through the confidence of our obedience to Christ's great commission: "Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit ...  And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age." (Matthew 28: 19-20)