by Dennis Gladden, ©2026
(Oct. 21, 2026) — Why is telling good news so discouraging?
The prophet Isaiah said,
How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him
who brings good news,
who proclaims peace,
who brings glad tidings of good things,
who proclaims salvation... (Isaiah 52:2).
Yet, the Apostle Paul said, “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing” (1 Corinthians 1:18).
Beautiful.
Foolish.
It’s perplexing for the one who wants to bring
hope to the hopeless,
life to the lifeless,
comfort to the mourners,
rest to the distressed,
and truth to the deceived.
The Gospel of Christ has such glad tidings of good things.
Why do other gospels have more appeal and broader audiences?
I recently attended a podcast that opened by talking about unconditional love. The host and guest were encouraging, engaging, and inspirational. Someone typed “healing” in the chat.
The guest said unconditional love assures, “We love you the way you are.” It promises, “I will never turn my back on you.”
The chat room, filled with more than 700 visitors, brimmed with admiration. Heart emojis and expressions of “thanks” and “love” sprang up.
I felt discouraged.
The message was soothing but hollow.
We usually associate unconditional love with God.
Does He love us as we are? Yes, Jesus said God so loved us that He sent Christ to save us.
Will He never turn His back on us? God did say He will never leave or forsake us (Deuteronomy 31:6, 8).
But this tells only half the story.
The Gospel of Christ tells the other half, and this is when its glow suddenly dims.
On the joyful side, “Light has come into the world.”
But who wants to stay for the gloomy half?
This is the condemnation…men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light (John 3:19–20).
So, yes, God loves unconditionally, but He also loves intimately, within boundaries. I wrote about this recently (Does God Love Us Unconditionally?).
The truth is, the Gospel appeals only when you get sick of the bad news that streams across our TV, computer, and smartphone screens 24×7.
And when you realize the malevolence isn’t just “out there” on our screens. It prowls right inside. Jesus pinned its origin: “All these evil things come from within, out of the heart of men” (Mark 7:20–23).
You come to agree with Isaiah, “The whole head is sick, and the whole heart faints” (Isaiah 1:5).
Read the rest here.
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