Where do you Preach?

I was reading Mark 16 today about the good news of our Lord's resurrection. We do not normally read a lot from Mark 16 for the very reason that it ends rather abruptly and on a sour note. The women at the tomb were told to go and tell his disciples that He had risen from the dead. However verse 8 reveals that they were so afraid that they said nothing to anyone. Of course we know that is not the end of the story. A later editor added in 12 more verses that provide a little more detail about what happened after the resurrection. However, we do not normally accept these 12 verses as being authentic to the original author. Just a cursory reading of the verses explains why. We do not normally build a doctrine on obscure verses in the Bible. However, there are still some relevant words that are applicable to our lives. Consider what the disciples did after Jesus had spoken to them. Verse 20 states they "went out and preached everywhere." I like this ending much better than verse 8 which closes with fear and trembling. Now comes the pivotal question for us to consider. Which ending best illustrates our lives? Are we like the women, who after hearing the good news said nothing to anyone or are we more like the disciples who preached everywhere? Think about your life and consider which ending you prefer. I know which one we probably are more like, but I'm not sharing. Some of you are probably thinking that you are not a preacher. But the actual idea presented in these words is that they proclaimed the good news. You may not be a preacher, but you can certainly proclaim good news. Consider the example of Saint Francis of Assisi. He once had a young student who wanted to accompany him as he preached to the people in the streets. Saint Francis allowed the young monk want a be to join him in his daily rounds. As they made their way through the city Saint Francis ministered to a beggar on the street by giving him some money. He helped another person carry a heavy load. He gave out food to the poor. He gave clothing to the less fortunate. After the day was over the young monk want a be said "I thought we were going to preach the gospel, but we never uttered one word." Saint Francis said "Everywhere we went we preached the word." He then said "Everywhere you go preach the word, use words if necessary." The point of the story is that our lives should be a billboard for the gospel of Jesus Christ. There will be times when we must verbally proclaim the truth we believe. However, our lives should always be a reflection of the truth we claim to believe. Think about your own life. How can you preach the good news to those you come in contact with? Perhaps it might be sharing a meal with someone at work. Maybe it would be doing something kind to a colleague. It could lending a listening ear to someone. It could be dropping a card in the mail or sending out an email thanking someone for what they have done. It might be crying with someone or even laughing with someone. And yes it might be sharing with them the hope you have in Jesus Christ. So I ask you a question "Where do you Preach?" I would love to hear your preaching stories. By the way if you examine the rest of verse 20 it states that "the Lord worked with them and confirmed his word." Remember wherever you go preach the word, use words if necessary, but preach the word. There is power in the preached word.