Only God Knows the Truth

“What is truth?” That is the question. Long after Pontius Pilate asked that question of a wandering rabbi from Nazareth, the answer still evades us. The writer of the Gospel of John tells us that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. We capitalize those words because we, Christians at least, believe that Jesus provides us with a Truth that is somehow ultimate.

But sadly, even Christians disagree on Pilate’s question, “What is truth?” How else do we explain the existence of various denominations except that we have defined our “truths” differently? The religious soil of the U.S. has proven amazingly fertile in the propagation of diverse spiritual experiences, expressions and faith communities. But proclaiming one Truth to unite us all has been incredibly difficult. The non-believing world holds Christians at a distance in part because we can’t get our “truths” together. And well did Jesus foresee this problem when he prayed for the disciples that they might be “one that the world would believe (John 17:20-23).” Until we get at the capital “T,” Truth, the world is still going to have problems with us Christians.

Not only is the definition of Truth a problem for world evangelization, but it is also a problem in human relationships. On the mega-scale, we have Glenn Beck rallying in Washington declaring a revival of the meaning of civil rights. On the same day in the same city we have the Rev. Al Sharpton defining civil rights very differently. Both men claim the name of Jesus as Savior. But who speaks the Truth?

I suspect only God knows, and I am guessing that absolute Truth may be something we will have to wait on. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 13, “Now we see in a mirror dimly, then we shall see face to face. Now I understand in part, then I shall fully understand, even as I have been fully understood.” The key phrase there is, “as I have been fully understood.” God knows what’s True, even when our perception of Truth is distorted.

So, there is great comfort for me when I sing the old spiritual, “In the midst of faults and failures, stand by me . . .When I’ve done the best I can, and my friends misunderstand. Thou who knowest all about me, stand by me.” After all, there is my truth, and there is your truth, and if we disagree, what are we to do? To quote another soulful song, “There ain’t no good guy, there ain’t no bad guy. There’s only you and me and we just disagree.”

God knows our hearts. We have our own perceptions, and sometimes we are fooling nobody but ourselves. Only God knows the Big Truth of the human condition, and only God knows what is really true about us. When we are so sure we are right, that’s the first warning sign that we could stand some humility.

We can only make it in this world with a lot of empathy and forgiveness and humility as we await the day when “we shall fully understand as we have been fully understood.” Meanwhile, we can try to be a little less arrogant and a little more merciful, and that’s the Truth we can live with.

Dr. Laura's Gaffe

First a disclaimer, I never listen to Dr. Laura's radio show. Whenever I have scanned over it in the past I have never lingered. I am no fan. Nor am I a fan of political correctness (PC). I defend a person's right to speak the truth, without the verbal gymnastics that our current PC climate seems to necessitate.

Still, I believe one can speak the truth with sensitivity. One can speak the truth with respect for others. One can speak the "truth in love," to be Biblical (Ephesians 4:15). The context of that passage of scripture might help Dr. Laura, and the rest of us, to use our right of free speech with greater grace.

The writer is urging us toward spiritual maturity, to aim toward the "stature of Christ," so that we may "grow up in every way into him who is the head." So, as Americans, we may feel like we have the right to say whatever is on our mind, but even that right is subject to limitations. One can't yell "fire" in a crowded movie theater unless, of course, there really is a fire. Several kinds of "hate speech," are against the law in this country. So, to paraphrase a popular modern slogan, "Freedom (of speech) is not free." Speaking the "n" word has consequences.

Then, how does Christian faith empower, or limit, the kind of speech we use? How does our imperative to love one another affect the way we speak the truth? I would argue that our speech becomes both more critical, in the prophetic sense of the word, but also more gracious. More critical because we are compelled by our righteous God to identify the "powers and principalities," and to demand justice and integrity in all of society. More gracious because we are a people aware of our own shortcomings (read as "sin"), and thus demonstrating empathy for others.

So, what would I say to Dr. Laura, not that she'll ever read this blog which has a following of less than a handful of readers? I would probably say, "Conduct yourself wisely toward outsiders, making the most of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how you ought to answer everyone (Colossians 4:5-6)."

One last thing - the other night Dr. Laura was interviewed by Larry King. She said she is closing her radio show so she can say what she wants "without people getting angry." Good luck with that one. The Dixie Chicks have already learned that free speech carries consequences, including anger, loss of popularity and income. And as a preacher who speaks semi-publicly every Sunday, I have learned that almost any kind of speech, even what seems most benign, will make someone angry. And if you're telling the truth, especially The Truth, the powers and principalities might even crucify you.

Blurring the Line between Sacred and Secular

A recent interview with Stephen Mansfield, popular author who has written books about the faith of both Presidents George Bush and Barack Obama, delves into the subject of his latest book, "God and Guinness," in which he explores the life of the Guinness family, whose fortune was made in brewing beer, and their attempts to integrate their faith with the way they lived their lives and ran their business, particularly as Christians within the Wesleyan tradition.

Mansfield says of Arthur Guinness, that he "was unusual in that he absorbed [John]Wesley’s social teaching very deeply and lived it out more radically than most. He took care of the poor, started hospitals and ran his company in a way that was radical -- paying 20 percent more for salaries than most other people and providing benefits to his employees that would challenge the accomplishments of Microsoft and Google today."

Those who wonder about the congruence of Christian principles and brewing beer need to understand the historical context. In the 1600's, clean water was unattainable. The options were between water which could make one sick, or wine or hard liquor. Home-brewed gin was a scourge. Alcoholism was rampant, as were water-borne illnesses. By contrast, "beer was healthy. It had a variety of B-complex vitamins. It was lower in alcohol content than the other drinks. It was more nutritious in every way. To answer this scourge of alcoholism, social reformers began to brew and encourage drinking beer. By the time Arthur Guinness came along, the brewing of beer was seen as a positive factor in society."

The Guinness company has continued the tradition of public service, instituting programs contributing to the public health of Dublin, Ireland. They have eschewed the modern corporate mantra of "profit at all costs," continuing to be a model for the equitable treatment of workers and being a good corporate citizen.

As a life-long teetotaler, I am nevertheless inspired by the example of Arthur Guinness and his ability to merge faith and life. May we all strive to do the same, that we might blur the lines, in a good way, between what is sacred and what is secular.

The Everyday Hero

Tom Hanks is the kind of actor labeled as "everyman." He's the kind of actor who appeals to men and women, with whom anyone can identify in some way, similar to the way Jimmy Stewart was for a previous generation. What is heroic about the characters these men played is not their extraordinariness, but the way in which in mostly ordinary circumstances they seemed to survive and thrive. Among women actors, I think of Helen Hunt in her role as a mother/waitress in "As Good as it Gets." These characters make us think, "I hope I could be like that." Just ordinary, everyday heroes.

I acknowledge the everyday hero. The woman who gets up each day and stirs up her three sons and gets them all ready for school, making sure they get their breakfast eaten and their teeth brushed. There are enough stories told about negligent moms, so how about some kudos for the mom who perseveres through the never-ending loads of laundry, stacks of dishes, and refereeing constant sibling squabbles.

Let's hear it for the everyday hero. The father whose wife has decided her personal choices and freedom are more important than her children, leaving them to his care. I watch as he juggles the demands of working full-time while ferrying his children to daycare, or to grandma's, or to the doctor's office, or to piano lessons and dance and soccer . . . And cleaning up the house every night after the kids are in bed.

There is the grandmother who never anticipated raising her grandchildren, but when her own daughter dumps them on the doorstep and says, "I need you to take care of them for a while," and then disappears, what would you do? Well, the everyday heroic grandmother starts all over again, raising a new family, taking too much of the blame for her daughter's failures, and trying to do a better job this go 'round. She may be 65, or 75, with less energy than she once had, but these are children, after all, and they need love and care. So, she does the hard thing, the right thing, and takes up where she left off a generation before, God bless her.

Everyday heroes . . . they're sitting beside you in the pew, or at the restaurant. They don't seem extraordinary. The woman working a second job (which she hates more than her first job, which she also hates) so she can pay for her child's college education. The man who grinds his teeth through another awful day answering to a bully of a boss. Why does he put up with it? Because he has a family to support and that's more important to him than contentment in his work.

If you don't think these people I've described are heroic, then I think your perspective has been distorted by too many comic book or video game characters. Perhaps there is nothing more heroic than the person who you can count on, everyday, to do the right thing, to do the caring thing, to be there. Everyday heroes, who consistently put the needs of others ahead of their own, who love their neighbor as they love themselves. . . rather than just themselves.

I salute you everyday heroes. Tom Hanks or Helen Hunt would be fortunate to play your role.