What is Truth?

"What is truth?" Pilate asked Jesus. With the Son of God, the very living embodiment of truth, before him, he chose to enter into a philosophical reflection on the nature of truth. It is a stunning example of missed opportunity. Instead of debating the definition of truth, Pilate could have chosen to drink deeply of it from Jesus Christ.

It is clear from the story that missing the point was actually his intention. You do not have to be a theologian, biblical scholar, or psychologist to see that Pilate wanted to dodge the question. Jesus presence and words were searching him and he knew it. Rather than join in that process and come to greater self-discovery, he chose to redirect the conversation and remain comfortable where he was. Sadly, this is a very common, human response. Rather than allowing God to challenge us at a deep level we continually divert the discussion to something else and conveniently avoid that revelation.

I once received a letter from a person who attended the church that I served asking me to change the way I was preaching. She said, "sometimes I leave worship and I don't feel like a good Christian. I want to come to church, hear that I am doing well and that it is all going to be okay, and I want to leave feeling good." I feel for her discomfort, but I also know that sometimes we are not okay. Sometimes, the Spirit wants us to be uncomfortable and to look deeply at our lives. It is through this discomfort that we grow stronger in our character and deeper in our insight.

I've heard similar concerns about the personal nature of the sermon, or the praise worship, or the prayers. The implication is always similar, "Can't we just avoid anything that gets too close to home? Let's just get this church thing over with before it costs me anything or asks me to change." That, however, is not the way of Christian discipleship.

We dare not simply find people and experiences that tell us we do not need to change or grow. We should be looking for Spirit-led people and Spirit-filled experiences that lead us deeper into truth. Jesus said, "you shall know the truth and the truth shall set you free. He also said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life." In Jesus, we experience truth and that truth will change us. It may not be the truth we expected and it likely will not be what seems popular, but it will be real.

Recently, a number of my Facebook friends posted links to articles that support their particular theological, or political beliefs. Some of the sources were very questionable and the arguments shallow, but they were presented with great passion. They were also affirmed with similar passion by a whole group of like-minded friends. I had two thoughts in response: first, this is very dangerous, and second, God show me where I do the same thing.

We ought to be challenged deeply, but we need to be challenged by the truth. The source of what we take into our thoughts and actions needs to be grounded in God's truth, not mere popularity. Real truth should lead us closer to God and to the revelation of God given in Holy Scripture and in Jesus Christ. If we are not careful, we can sound like Pilate as we attempt to redefine truth to fit our expectations and desires, to be popular, and to avoid the deep searching of God.

If, however, we will embrace real truth, we will discover the freedom it brings. Like the driver who finally accepts that they need directions to find their way, we may not like what we hear, but we will know exactly where we are, and the real pathway to where we are going. We will find that Jesus really is the truth and the way, and we will so much the better for it.

Truth can be frightening and uncomfortable, but it is also liberating and enables us to find our way to the destiny marked out for us. Pilate asked, "What is truth?" The answer is truth is God's perspective. Truth is Jesus Christ, the same yesterday, today and forever, and that is a wonderful rock on which to stand.

House of Prayer

Nearly every parent has a story of purchasing an expensive gift for their child, only to have them find the box and packaging more fun to play with. It seems easy for children to miss the main point of the gift as they focus on what was meant to be discarded. On one level, this is a great affirmation of child-like creativity, but it also reveals a human tendency to mistake the wrapping for the gift.

Prior to his crucifixion, Jesus went to the temple in Jerusalem. There he found, not only worshippers, but people exploiting the spiritual needs of many who were there by using that experience to make a high profit. The faithful were not permitted to pay the temple tax in the common currency of the day. Instead, they were required to exchange it for the currency of the temple. It was at the point of this exchange that people would be gouged with an unfair exchange rate.

Seeing this travesty, Jesus turned over their tables and declared, "Is it not written, 'My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations'? But you have made it a robbers' den." It is one of the few times we see Jesus angry, and there is no mistaking his concern. Clearly, the money changers missed the point of worship and were exchanging the gift of God for the trappings of profit.

In our journey of faith, we too can miss the point. We may not be hurting others for our profit, but we can lose sight of the real gift of being the Church of Jesus Christ. We can replace an intimate walk with the Savior and with the world, for ritual and routine. We can replace the "house of prayer for all nations" with the "house of getting my needs met," sacrificing the call for our comfort.

We are meant to be the church for the sake of the world and to the glory of God. Prayer and ministry for our community, region, and the nations of the world is at the heart of our identity. Called to lift Jesus high we need to come in low, as John the Baptist did saying, "I must decrease that he might increase."

The good news is that when we embrace our true calling as the body of Christ we find the blessing of God. Like the child who learns to appreciate and value the gift more than the packaging, we discover that the valuable gift of God is found beyond the trappings of religion. In our faithful embrace of God's vision for his church, we find the joy of a personal relationship with Jesus, the beauty of community, and the power of a dynamic relationship with the world.

Let's not settle for the box and paper, but search deeper for the real gift of God. Let's be the house of prayer for all nations and see the world transformed by the love and power of Jesus Christ!

Finding Our Footing

After nearly three weeks, we are beginning to feel settled in our new appointment. Transition between churches and moving to a new community in a new region shake up comfort zones and break most of established routines. These changes can be as simple as whether to call carbonated beverages “pop” or “soda,” or they can be the obstacle of navigating unknown roads to new destinations.

Last week, I was invited to visit a local nursing home to pray with a family that was facing the loss of a loved one. My new church family gave me great directions and I set off with a feeling of confidence. Three blocks from my destination, I encountered a water main break that forced a detour of all traffic. Normally, this would involve a trip around the block, but this time it meant about 25 minutes of driving unknown country roads. It was challenging, but quite humorous.

When we are in the midst of change, or when we are navigating our way in new territory, it is important to focus on the solid places where we can feel secure. In our physical experience, it can be as simple as following easy roads or, trusting our GPS to find our way home. Spiritually, it means keeping our focus on the solid rock of Jesus Christ. In the midst of all our chaos, he is the unchanging One who guides our way and helps us find our footing on the difficult paths of life.

In Psalm 18, David declares, “I love You, O Lord, my strength. The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.” (18:1-2) This great King of Israel knew that life was filled with challenges from without and within. Having faced many difficult circumstances, even some he caused himself, David understood that the only solid, safe place was the Lord. Likewise, in our lives, safety and security are found in Christ alone. As the old hymn said, “All other ground is sinking sand.”

Jesus never promised us an easy path, nor was there ever the expectation that life would be fair. Instead, Jesus said, “In this life you will have trouble, but take heart, I have overcome the world!” (John 16:33) Our journey will stretch us, but Jesus will be with us all along the way to give us an unshakable place to stand and to lead us into the destiny he plans for us. We can commit our way to Christ and hold fast to him as we make our way along the path. Indeed, he is our strength, rock, fortress, deliverer, refuge, shield, salvation, and stronghold, and thank God He is! May we trust and find our footing in him!