I think I was hit in the face with a new revelation this morning.
I don't know much about the "after-life" besides what is found in the Bible. And even with that, the Bible may be the authority of my life, but that is because of my faith in it, not because of its complete historical accuracy. I could get into a debate about how some ancient mythologies parallel the creation story and the one about the virgin birth, but I won't.
Having said that, I can't claim that I will go to heaven or hell after my time is up with this physical body and place. Mostly because I don't know what I believe about heaven or hell anymore. Perhaps I haven't dug enough into the scriptures, so forgive me for that. But what I know about who I am, what I believe in, to whom I belong and how that relates to the physical place I live in has been slowly revealed to me. And that is what I hold on to. I have no control over my after-life either way.
And because of this, I am in no place to tell the next person about what will happen to them in their after-life if they don't share my beliefs. Revelation is personal - at least, that's what I believe for now.
So what about the Great Commission?
I can't say I know enough about "the good news of salvation." And to be honest, maybe I haven't read enough, but I don't find the word "salvation" used in either of the Great Commission scriptures (Matthew 28:18-20, Acts 1:8). But the good news for me is the knowledge that there is a Being whose very essence is love - for me, for my neighbour, and for the created world I live in. And this is the only thing I can bring to Judea, Samaria and the ends of the earth.
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