Jesus said, “If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:31-32 NRSV)
When I worked in conflict mediation in congregational settings I learned that in the absence of truth, people quickly made up their own truth. In other words, unless the congregation’s leaders were willing to be honest about whatever the conflict issue was, congregants were quick to supply their own version of events. This version, whether it was accurate or not, then became “truth” to those who adhered to it. It is always better, even if things are ugly or messy, to share the truth than try and shield others from it. Those who bury or hide the truth from others will usually wish they hadn’t. Once an “untruth” has taken form and set up like finished concrete, it’s pretty difficult to dislodge.
I’m thinking about this, as well as the maxim so often ascribed to Jesus – “The truth will set you free” – because in our world today it seems to me “truth” has become a rare commodity. Perhaps this has always been the case to some extent among those who seek to manipulate and maneuver people into their way of thinking or toward adoption of their agenda. But it seems that the disregard for truth, in favor of lies, untruths, partial truths or “my own truth”, has exponentially multiplied in contemporary society. Political leaders unashamedly espouse untruths repeatedly to gain favor with the electorate. Elected officials acquiesce to parsing words over versions of the truth. Even religious leaders look the other way when it comes to the propulsion of truth’s missiles being lobbed and landed.
One could point fingers at the causes of such an acceleration of falsehood, surfacing mediums such as social media, blogs (hmmm), less scrupulous alternative media outlets; or root causes like greed, power, ego, etc. As communication mediums have exponentially increased with less fact checking and editorial oversight, it stands to reason that truth has been under assault. But maybe it’s always been under assault?
Let’s go back to Eden in Genesis 3 where a certain serpent “more crafty than any other” questioned the humans about the trees and their availability as food source. “Did God say, ‘You shall not eat from any tree in the garden.’?” There it is, the first time truth is questioned. The woman sets him straight, saying they can eat from any tree save the “tree that is in the middle of the garden”. If they so much as touch that tree the humans will die, she reports.
The serpent’s comeback, slick and sure is, “You will not die…” Truth has been questioned. Truth has been supplanted. A lie has taken hold, a seed taken root, an action is given energy. This is oft the way untruth works. It uses the building block of doubt to establish a presence. If there’s enough attraction, if enough ascribe and stick to or with the doubt, then the building block grows into a foundation on which entire edifices are erected.
So, when we find ourselves in a time that truth and truths are so easily questioned, rejected and replaced; what are we to do? This is the question around which an entire curriculum or graduate course could be written, but for simplification let’s turn back to the quote used to open this post. Jesus, offering instruction to those who believed in him, says “continue in my word” and “you are truly my disciples”.
What does this mean, to continue in Jesus’ word? I suspect it means to invest oneself in the trustworthy, tried and true “truths” of the gospel. I believe it’s a clarion call to those who are “followers of the Way” to study, pray, and know the words and teachings of Jesus. It’s to be steeped in the curriculum of The Beatitudes and the catechesis of his Sermon on the Mount. It’s to be a regular apprentice in The Lord’s Prayer. It’s to ruminate on his Kingdom of God parables and teachings. It’s to sit with the prayer book of Jesus – The Psalms, and commit them to heart. These are the truths of King Jesus that “will make you free”. Free of the untruths that are so loudly and continuously assaulting our eyes and ears. Free to trust in One who is gracious and kind, compassionate and tender, generous and merciful. Free to live with a focus and attention toward the Fruit of the Spirit instead of the produce of populism.
Ask yourself this: Do I long to be free? Do I long to be free of the 24 hour news cycle? Free of the divisive agendas? Free of the noise and chaos, the confusion and cacophony that is passed off as important? Do I long to be free of sin, suspicion, prejudice and pride? Do I long to be free of having to sieve and sort what’s true and what’s not?
If, like me, you seek to be a free disciple, then turn to the One who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. You will discover that His truth will make you free indeed.
danielcash 