Tag Archives: Speaking Truth

Truth

Living in the Spirit
May 29, 2018

Scripture Reading: 1 Samuel 3:1-10 (11-20)

Samuel lay there until morning; then he opened the doors of the house of the Lord. Samuel was afraid to tell the vision to Eli. But Eli called Samuel and said, ‘Samuel, my son.’ He said, ‘Here I am.’ Eli said, ‘What was it that he told you? Do not hide it from me. May God do so to you and more also, if you hide anything from me of all that he told you.’ So Samuel told him everything and hid nothing from him. Then he said, ‘It is the Lord; let him do what seems good to him.’

 As Samuel grew up, the Lord was with him and let none of his words fall to the ground. And all Israel from Dan to Beer-sheba knew that Samuel was a trustworthy prophet of the Lord.
–1 Samuel 3:15-18

We serve a God who lets no words fall to the ground. God’s word can be trusted. Can ours?  We live in a world of relative truth. People are hired for the sole purpose of figuring out how to word messages with lots of wiggle room. I laugh almost every time I get the solemn alert to read app use agreements or privacy statements before clicking accept. Nothing is ever straightforward. The statements are always in small print and page after page in length. The result is that we are all cynical about trusting anyone.  There are even online services that are truth checkers particularly related to politicians.

Yet, Christ followers commit to living like Jesus. We attempt not to let our words fall to the ground for we serve a leader who is the way, the truth, and the life*. 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 8:31b-32) One lie usually must be cover by other lies and often requires other people to lie and that is how evil winnows its way into our beings. Truth frees us from the bonds of deceit.

Prayer: God of Truth, help us usher in a world that reflects the words of Martin Luther King, Jr.: I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word. Martin Luther King, Jr. Let It Be So.

*See John 14:6

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.

Whom Shall God Send?

Living in the Spirit
May 22, 2018

Scripture Reading: Isaiah 6:1-8

The pivots on the thresholds shook at the voices of those who called, and the house filled with smoke. And I said: ‘Woe is me! I am lost, for I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; yet my eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts!’

Then one of the seraphs flew to me, holding a live coal that had been taken from the altar with a pair of tongs. The seraph touched my mouth with it and said: ‘Now that this has touched your lips, your guilt has departed and your sin is blotted out.’ Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, ‘Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?’ And I said, ‘Here am I; send me!’ –Isaiah 6:4-8

Unclean lip—there is a lot of that going around these days. I do not like living in a time when all language seems targeted at what the writer/speaker wants us to believe to strengthen the author’s views. We are used to the 30 second or 60 second sound bite that tightly controls content and never tells the whole story. It is very hard to write without introducing one’s own viewpoints but technical writing demands that. Clearly delineated opinion pieces allow for personal interpretations.

Having worked in public welfare for many years, I have no idea how many times I have had someone get in my face assuring me that hoards of undocumented aliens are receiving public assistance. When I tell them, there is a law against that I am assured I do not know what I am talking about. Even if I show them the law, they assure me it is not being enforced. It frightens me to hear candidates running for office with a platform of ending all the welfare going to “illegal Immigrants” because those candidates are so naïve about our system of laws or don’t care if it gets them elected*.

How is a prophet to be heard amidst the cacophony of people paid to shape our perceptions of reality? Isaiah faced that challenge as he worked to save Israel from its path of destruction. Followers of Christ called to share the good news of God’s through not only their words but their lives must trust God t touch our lives in such a way that we are compelled to speak God’s truth and more importantly lie God’s truth.

Prayer: Lord, touch not just my lips but my keyboard and my way of being so that they accurately reflect your way, your truth, and your life. Amen.

*For more information seehttp://econofact.org/do-undocumented-immigrants-overuse-government-benefits

All scriptures are quoted from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights are reserved.