What is Truth? - Psalm 34:12-13

Psalm 34:12-13 Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days, keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. (NIV)

            Someone recently said that ‘Truth is not truth,’ which although it sounds totally absurd, it is actually a reflection of the times we live in. We all operate with our own perceptions of what is real and we color truth with what we want to believe. For instance, if you have two people standing at opposite ends of a chalk drawing of the number nine, one will declare it to be “9” while the other person sees it only as “6.” Both believe their perception to be absolutely correct and from where they are standing, both declarations are true. So long as both of them stay where they are, they will not even consider the other person’s viewpoint, even though it is just as valid. Only when one or both of them decide to look at things from the other side will they see the unbelievable truth: both of them are correct!

            Truth is something that is sacred in the eyes of God and, in the end, it is His perception that decides what is absolutely and eternally true. We may think differently from Him because God gives us the gift of free will, so we seem to believe that our experience in life is what really counts. However, our time on Earth is so short compared to God’s immortality. We last for only a moment, so how can we finitely contend against what God knows to be eternally true?

            To deliberately go against the truth is to live a lie and the Bible constantly tells us that lying is not good for our health, our souls, our community, and our faith. This is different from perception – a lie is something that is deliberately told to destroy the truth. For instance, if a third person comes up to the two others who are arguing over the 9 or 6 and stridently says that the number is actually ‘3,’ that would be a falsehood. If that person kept declaring it to be ‘3’ loudly and long enough to confuse the other two until they accepted his word, then all of them would be accepting a lie. In the 20^th century, Hitler, Stalin, and Pol Pot used this technique and brutally bullied their people into accepting lies which consequently caused the deaths of millions of people across the world. Liars make the worst kind of leaders because eventually they destroy themselves and the people perish under their control.

            As Christians, we are meant to be religious people who side with the Truth and contend against lies, especially when falsehoods disrupt, diminish, and destroy our communities. If we, of all people, accept and spread lies, then we are no longer servants of Christ – the Way, the Truth, and the Life – but have sadly become purveyors of our own prejudices and traders in untruth.

Point to ponder

How do I discern the truth? Am I guilty of passing on lies?

Prayer: Lord Jesus, give us the gift of discernment so that we may honor You by seeking, knowing, and advancing the truth. Teach us that lies destroy our humanity and falsehoods can even wreck our faith. In Your Holy Name, we humbly pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. Come and join us for worship on Sunday mornings at 11:00 AM. You will be made very welcome 😊

Christian devotion - Fake News - John 8:45

John 8:45 Jesus said, “Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me!” (NIV)

            Personally, I’m tired of the over-used term “Fake news,” because it’s being employed by all types of folks to close down any dialogue or discussion of different opinions. I see it on Facebook, news reports, and newspaper articles all of the time, especially in the comment sections. I thought it was just an American thing, but sadly, I’ve come across it in the Scottish and British newspapers that I read online from time to time. It seems that everybody has their own personal truths about every situation under the sun, and nobody has any time or notion to honestly discuss contrasting viewpoints, ideas, or beliefs.

            ‘Fake news,’ however, isn’t new. In the Gospel passage John 8:38-59, Jesus confronts His opponents by rebuking them for not accepting the truth He was expressing about God. Instead of accepting Him as a genuine source of God’s grace through the miracles and lessons that Christ displayed, some people opted to believe what they wanted to believe, and wouldn’t let Jesus convince them otherwise. I get the feeling that Christ was frustrated by some of them, not because they opposed Him, but because they were missing out on a wonderful opportunity to be embraced by God in a new and encouraging way.

            As Christians, we are expected both by God and the world to be truthful followers of Jesus. We have been given the Gospels to enable us to share God’s gracious blessings with all kinds of folks. If we mix our faith with the trappings of so-called ‘fake news’ or pass on false stories, then our credibility as a religious people is diminished and our reliability as witnesses to Christ is undermined. In other words, we have a responsibility to not only seek the truth but to express and share it with the rest of the world. Our allegiance belongs to God and our devotion as disciples of Christ is owed solely to Him. If we let anything or anyone else get in the way, we become ‘fake news’ messengers, instead of followers of Jesus, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.

Point to ponder

Am I dismissive of other views? Am I willing to listen to contrasting ideas and opinions? Do I accept Christ as the source of Truth?

Prayer:  Lord Jesus, we live in turbulent times and often seek security in thoughts and people that reflect our own ideas, opinions, and beliefs. Sometimes, we displace You with those very same things. Forgive our fallen and prejudicial ways. Help us to seek Your guidance and truth for our lives. In Your Holy Name, we pray. Amen.

John Stuart is the pastor of Erin Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, Tennessee. You can read the church website at www.erinpresbyterian.org. If you have any questions or feedback for John, please send him an email to Traqair@aol.com.

Today’s image is one of John’s latest drawings called “Eclipso Calypso.” If you would like to view a larger version, please click this link: Calypso.