Jesus gathered his disciples at the table for the last time, and after they had dined, he said, "This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you."Luke 22:20;
For many people these words have lost all meaning. "What difference can it make to me, a modern, secular man, that an obscure Galilean died on a cross twenty centuries ago?" they ask. "I have everything I need—money in the bank, a nice home, a psychiatrist for my mental problems and a doctor for my physical ones. Why do I need a Saviour?"
These are the attitudes of a great many people in our society today. The heart of the Christian gospel—the Christ-mission— no longer speaks to them in traditional terms. One detects anguish and disillusionment, and at the same time a certain candor, in theologians' assertions that "God is dead." God is no longer a recognized reality in the experience of many. A few are able to admit it and open their thought to new approaches.
