“Because?” Why “because?” Jesus says (verse 45) “Because I tell the truth, you do not believe me!” Why not, “although?” And is the emphasis after that on the “I” or “the truth”? At any rate, the best sense I can make of that is that whatever is opposed to Jesus is dynamically opposed. In other words, the more truth comes forward, the more untruth will be active as well. And just as there are not just specific examples of truth but an underlying, all-encompassing truth, so this would suggest there are not just specific instances of lies, deception, and pot-shots against truth, and those who follow truth, but an enemy, Satan, a personal power on a seek and destroy mission against God’s reign. That power succeeded in using people to kill Jesus of Nazareth, but the God who sent him and who validated him as truth, raised him up in a new, indestructible form.
This Scripture and this line of thought will be the basis for a new message series starting May 21. I paste here my initial sketch of that...
What Is Truth?
“What is truth?,” Pilate asked Jesus (John 18:38).
Is that the same as asking, what is the truth?
To ask, “What is truth?” without the definite article suggests that there are not just truths about specific things but truth as a principle, a reality, an underlying premise to our lives.
What if that underlying truth is, “I know I matter because God wants a relationship with me”?
What happens to this premise … what happens to prevent it from forming .. or what happens to form it … as specific issues and circumstances arise? Such as:
- Crises in relationships – separation, bereavement …
- Crises in work – new work, changing work, termination …
Can we know the truth about big things that affect us though we can’t seem to do anything about them?
- Gas prices
- Why is the U.S. in Iraq?
Am I a cog in a machine in my work? Or, shudder to think, in my church? in my family?
There have to be some places where we can be sure we are more than a cog, and we can experience the truth that we matter because God wants a relationship with us. How is that realized? How can we help one another realize it? Can we then work outward to some of these bigger things through a new prophetic role for Christians in the world, along the lines of part of my Easter talk that we need to effect change not just cope with it?
And, is there a power that increases with our seeking and doing truth? If so, what does that mean for the above?
Help me prepare this with your questions and thoughts, photos, music, whatever.
2 comments:
I think the emphasis is on "the truth", in that these people only believe the language of lies. It is His language of truth that impedes their listening. It reminds me of speaking in front of children: if you use long words when kids are young enough, you can have full conversations in front of them that they don't understand because you are using the language of adults. Likewise, you could talk about hatred and sex and drug use and nothing would register because they don't understand the language of sin. It's hard to relate the experience of talking with God to a non-believer because they don't understand the language of belief. A self-proclamined sinner can't hear your words of forgiveness because he can't understand the language of forgiveness.
The other thought regarding Jesus' language of Truth and the world's pervading language of lies, is that the language of lies is a pretty tongue. God says I am here and I love you, come to Me. The evil in the world spin tales and whispers and cajols and woos - evil works hard at speaking to us. God makes a beautiful world and offers a promise beyond our imagining, but the pleasure from listening to evil can be so immediate.
Ever year I post New Year resolutions. This is the first year I blogged them, and mostly because I couldn't remember any of the codes for my web site. But in year 1998 this is part of what I posted:
"I was pretty keen at last new year's to "pursue spiritual growth through a community church." I think the key word here is "pursue". I took a look about. I pursued. Thing is the thrill's in the chase and Jesus ain't no fleet-foot. He just spreads out his arms and says I'm here if you need me. Where's the fun in that? Forget about it."
http://users.csolve.net/~coffeek/newyear1999.htm
i had a friend say to me last week that he had lost faith in god, and now nothing matters. he's an artist so i asked him does art matter and what is art? he said that some people claim art is truth; his own working definition of good art is that which more closely approaches experience. we talked for a while longer, and i invited him to experience church, and he accepted.
it strikes me that truth is necessary for experience, for the experience of a direct connection to a person or thing. lies lead to false experiences, which eventually leave you feeling empty, so, like junk food, a little while later you're hungry for more, which leads to cycles of addiction and feelings worthlessness.
what is truth? perhaps, in our limited capacity, we don't know truth until we experience the attraction of its opposite. truth is knowledge of truth and lies, good and evil, light and dark. truth is knowing god and satan, fidelity and temptation. knowing truth forces growth, expansion, awareness, inclusiveness, universality, acceptance, openness. knowing truth makes us more able to love. truth is about me and change, about me being changed, and about me changing beings. we do this because enabling change brings about more truth, and brings us closer to its source: god.
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