The Gospel According to Nikki Kiehl

The Gospel According to Nikki Kiehl

SRT 280 45 – Jesus
By: Nikki Kiehl
Date: 04/24/2020
The Gospel According to Nikki Kiehl

Abstract
I am writing this Gospel to the young adults in a local youth group who have lost sight of
the importance to continue to follow Jesus during a pandemic. When individuals are scared and
have anxiety, they can lose focus on how important it is to continue to serve the ones in need. In
this Gospel, I will do a brief overview of Jesus’ life leading up to his death and resurrection, will
reference the canonical Gospels to illustrate the discipleship displayed during Jesus’ journey, and
address how individuals should imitate God through understanding Catholic social teachings.
My goal is to help the young adults recognize the importance of imitating God by serving those
in need.
The Gospel According to Nikki Kiehl

When stressful events or situations occur due to global crisis such as a pandemic, people
will often be faced with a lot of fear and anxiety. Although a pandemic may not necessarily be a
fight or flight scenario, people’s behaviors will change for either the better or worse. When
families are faced with financial difficulties, they have to make difficult decisions such as
whether they pay their mortgage or buy extra food. In these situations, there are many non-profit
organizations that work diligently to help those in need. For instance, on a normal day, the youth
group will come together to volunteer within the community, but because of the pandemic, those
services have either been ignored or reduced. While it is understandable that the services have
declined, it is still important for the youth to stay focused on the importance of following Jesus
by imitating God. The importance of following Jesus is highlight throughout the canonical
Gospels.
The canonical Gospels highlight the events that Jesus and his followers endured leading up to
Jesus’ death and resurrection. In the four passion stories, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, all
four gospels demonstrate in one way or another the events leading to Jesus’ death and
resurrection. Throughout the stories, all the gospels address the betrayal by Judas, denial by
Peter, a trial or hearing in front of the Jewish and Roman leaders, the days leading up to Jesus’
death, and the crucifixion. The main themes addressed within all four gospels are the fact that
Jesus remained innocent and continued his journey to teach his disciples about the true meaning
of being part of God’s Kingdom.
Jesus teaches his disciples to stay focused and committed to him, leading up to his death and
continuing after his resurrection. Through the Great Commission, it addressed that Jesus is the
true king, for his followers to tell all nations the good news, and to join the kingdom through
baptism and follow his teachings (Youtube, Gospel of Matthew). Furthermore, Jesus is
Immanuel, God with us and he said, “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, teaching them to observe
all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age” (Matthew
28:19-20). Therefore, Jesus sends his twelves disciples to teach the proper way of living, that
involves acceptance and rejection. Jesus’ crucifixion is a sign of Jesus conquering evil by letting
it conquer him, while gaining victory through a self-giving love (Youtube, Gospel of Matthew).
Once Jesus was resurrected, the act clarifies Jesus’ claim to be the Son of God (Youtube, Gospel
of Matthew).
With the brief overview of how Jesus guided his disciples to follow him while imitating God,
the Catholic church implemented Catholic social teachings to emphasize on the importance. The
Christian community needs to imitate God by being compassionate through giving life,
nourishing, caring, and tenderness, with a warm and gentle embrace for other people (Thompson,
188). For Christians, it is important to imitate God by being compassionate, as God demonstrated
compassion through Jesus’ suffering for humanity and transforming the suffering into a new life
(Thompson, 188). Without compassion, humans tend to overlook the severity of others who are
suffering and in need. Furthermore, individuals who need compassion, regain their dignity when
they are at the lowest point of their life. Religious or not, it should be everyone’s purpose in life,
to be more compassionate towards others.
The Gospel According to Nikki Kiehl

In the light of the pandemic, the Christian community has continued to come together to
support all people in need through Catholic social teachings. Through Catholic social teachings,
Christians work together to protect human life and dignity, promote human rights and
responsibilities, prioritize for the poor and vulnerable, preserve dignity of work and rights of
workers, and practice solidarity and subsidiarity (John Carr, Our response to the coronavirus).
Christian traditional understanding is that all life is precious regardless of age, wealth, race,
gender, nationality, or utility (John Carr, Our response to the coronavirus). Without judgment, all
of God’s children deserve to maintain their dignity and to protect their needs through health care,
family and religion, decent work, housing, and education (John Carr, Our response to the
coronavirus).
In conclusion, Jesus showcased his loyalty to God and the community he lived in by helping
his disciples witness his true dedication to God. Jesus’ dedication to God was announced
throughout the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, who relayed similar versions of the
passion stories. Additionally, in modern times, the Catholic church has come together to help
Christian gather a better understanding of discipleship through Catholic social teachings. With
the teachings, Christians have been able to show their own dedication to God by helping the
community around them and much more. Young adults of the youth group, please continue to
put forth efforts to support the community throughout this difficult time.