Preach the Gospel, Use Words

I had a conversation with a great friend today. All of which stemmed from his thoughts on a book he'd just finished by D.A. Carson called "The Cross and Christian Ministry". We talked a lot about the church and it's doing of "good works", being involved in things like "social justice" and supplying the needs of people in the city. There is no doubt, a need for action against the innumerable forms of injustice in the Philadelphia area; and other cities all over the world. But the question was, where do draw in the sand that says, "We're here not because of the injustice merely, but because the injustice or the poverty or oppression is caused by a greater problem--the problem of sin. If we can't preach and present the Gospel of Christ, then our fight against social injustice is fruitless; in fact, it's no real fight at all. We're swatting at air." 

Eventually, that infamous quote from Saint Francis of Assisi came up: 

Preach the Gospel at all times, and if necessary use words.

I personally heard this quote a couple years back and intially thought, "hmm...that's an interesting thing to say, kind of catchy." I cataloged it in the back of my mind, inside that little file that I have for "catchy Christian quotes". Then, when I heard it again about a year or so later I began thinking, "Wait. What does that even mean? Biblically, that makes zero sense." Fast forwarding to the conversation with my friend, he thought the same thing. It flies in the face of everything Bible. Wouldn't you say so? Think about it; Matthew records in his gospel that, "From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand."(Matt 4:17). There's the Good News, in the flesh, and He's preaching the Gospel. 

In the gospel of Mark 1:38 Jesus says, "Let us go to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for this is why I came out." 

Again, in Luke 4:43, Jesus says, "I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose." Then, there's the one that rings in my brain like a sharp blow to the head:

How then will they call on him in whom the have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!" (Rom 10:14-15)

While the quote by Saint Francis of Assisi is catchy, it flies in the face of the previous passages; not to mention the Great Commission and the basis for the church's "good works". Someone will say, "Yea well, we're supposed to be doing good works. We're supposed to be zealous for good works! The Apostle Paul says that in Titus." Indeed, Paul does say that, but, the entire reason why believers can do and be zealous for good works is because of what has already happened to them to make them believers--The Gospel (Titus 2:11-14). 

So, instead of 'swatting at air' while I hand someone a sandwich on the side of the street, buy someone a meal, volunteer at a shelter for sexually abused and trafficked adolescent girls, help with the cause in Darfur, do missions work in a third world country, or hand out free clothes to needy families on 52nd and Market, I'd rather bring the Gospel with me. Preaching it, working because of it, and praying that those I'm serving will be changed by it. 

(NOTE: In my criticism of this quote by Saint Francis of Assisi, I'm not attacking the man but I'm attempting to speak into the misuse of the quote in society as a "cop out excuse" for not preaching the gospel.)