The late Raymond Nogar, OP...
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The late Raymond Nogar, OP., in his book The Lord of the Absurd, talks about the way in which the spoken word becomes a new thing in the mind of the hearer. This is certainly true for preachers. When we speak God's word, the effectiveness is not in the people remembering exactly what we said, but in how the Holy Spirit is at work in the hearer for the hearer's faith. This was certainly true for Paul and Barnabas in this very funny story from Acts. The people hear their own thing, and resting on their cultural traditions regarding divinity, are sure that Paul and Barnabas are from Olympus. But Paul makes it clear that a new thing is happening here -- that they are not gods, but people just like them, and that the Good News which they preach comes not from Olympus but from the one God who made heaven and earth. The Gospel, spoken through regular people, is the incarnate Word, active in the hearts and minds of all.
