Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Romans 10:13‑15

I have always loved maps, especially old maps or, as they are described today, “vintage” maps. There is something about a vintage map that stirs my imagination. In fact, I have such a map hanging over my desk: a map of the African continent as it was in 1965. A great deal has changed since that time. Many of the countries now have different names because of the end of colonialism in that part of the world. In addition to those name changes, Africa has become the epicenter of Christianity. It is estimated that by the year 2050, 40% of the world’s Christians will reside on that continent. The map in my office is significant for another reason. It belonged to my wife’s great‑aunt, a woman who served as a missionary to Nigeria for forty two years. She devoted her life to sharing the gospel and had the kind of beautiful feet described by the Apostle Paul.

In quoting the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 52:7), Paul explains the truth that God’s people have been called to live as a sent people, a people who understand their unique role in God’s project called “humanity.” The illustration brings to mind missionaries who walk dusty roads to carry the gospel to a faraway place. Their feet are beautiful not because they have been pampered but because they carry the dirt and callouses of following Jesus on a hard road. Most of us, however, have not been sent to that kind of place. We have been sent to our neighborhoods, our workplaces, and our families. We have been sent to live out the gospel in a post‑Christian nation as we are “joining Christ daily in the restoration of all things.” Let us embrace the truth that we are sent people in our own communities.

So as we slip on our shoes, let us ask ourselves this question: Would Paul describe our feet as beautiful?

FOR REFLECTION

Do you see yourself as a “sent” person?

How might you live out the gospel in your life today?

PRAYER

Lord, we thank You that we get to be a part of bringing the good news to those around us. Forgive us for all the ways we ignore our calling, believing that the work of Your kingdom can be done by others. On this day, we pray that You will give us the opportunity to demonstrate the hope of the gospel through both our words and actions. Amen.