There is an admonition attributed, I assume spuriously, to Francis of Assisi: “Preach the gospel at all times; if necessary, use words.” It pops up all the time in the church circles in which I’ve spent my life, seeming to suggest—even command—a way out of the discomfort of verbally proclaiming anything about Jesus, especially to anyone who might not already have a formal commitment to a Christian community. The content of the good news can be conveyed through loving and generous action instead.
That a message about the work of God in the person of Jesus Christ can, in fact, be proclaimed without words would likely have come as a surprise to the apostles, who were always talking about Jesus alongside their various miracles and acts of service. Even the best good works are inherently equivocal; they may be done for any number of reasons (even selfish ones), in service of any faith or none. They may even redound primarily to the reputation and benefit of the one doing them rather than to any god on whose unspoken behalf they are done. Using words is important. More than that, it’s necessary.
Perhaps I betray my Lutheran theological roots here. Or my relative comfort in the role of speaking and my relative unease in the world of, well, doing things.
