THE "CRY" OF THE STONES AS A TESTIMONY OF GOD (IN CHRIST): A PERSPECTIVE FOR WORLD EVANGELIZATION

Man was created for a relationship with God (GUDER, 2023, p. 138). Through relational processes, in a succession of contextualized messages, communication takes place (WATZLAWICK, 1967 apud MATTELART & MATTELART, 2012, p. 67-70). God communicates with humanity: indirectly (general revelation, in nature), or directly (special revelation) (WILLMINGTON, 2015, p. 371-373). The Abrahamic covenant (with the imperative of blessing the peoples) refers to the special revelation (of God, in Christ Jesus) from the general revelation (RICHARDSON, 2008, p. 171 and 179). "According to Jesus, the 'end of the world' would not occur until the gospel had been 'preached' worldwide" (RICHARDSON, 2008, p. 203-204) – there is suspense about how this 'mission' (of the Church) will be completed. This study aims to analyze extreme divine actions as a message to humanity, in the historical-contextual eschatological perspective of signs (earthquakes as the "cry" of the stones). "By going beyond formal logic" (MAGALHÃES FILHO, 2011, p. 17), one can imagine the expression of divine witness (and power) as "preaching" (evangelization), using "analogical language" (symbolic, from the stones) (MAGALHÃES FILHO, 2011, p. 34). Initially, the character of the message will point to the Eternal-Creator, opening a "window to the Word" (GEISLER, 1998, p. 307 apud WILLMINGTON, 2015, p. 258); and, for guaranteed meaning, the special revelation must be minimally presented (God, in Christ), by a 'written' or 'living' Word (WILLMINGTON, 2015, p. 371-373). Such a perspective would contribute to world evangelization.