Thursday, October 11, 2012

A Thought - and a Lament


“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now.  When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth; for He will not speak on His own but will speak whatever He hears, and He will declare to you the things that are to come.”  John 16:12-13

“Every kingdom divided against itself is brought to ruin, and every city or house divided against itself will not stand.”  Matthew 12:25

“They speak bombastic nonsense, and with licentious desires of the flesh they entice people who have just escaped from those who live in error.”  2 Peter 2:18

Even while so many celebrate “diversity”, it is still a strange thing that those who consider themselves devout Christians can be so radically different in their beliefs and practices from others who also believe and act completely differently; especially when John records Jesus as teaching that the “Spirit … will guide you into all the truth”.  One cannot help but to wonder exactly what “truth” Jesus (or John) is referring to. 

We live in a culture that has completely redefined “morality”, and we witness far too many churches actually following that lead and offering its own stamp of approval ostensibly in the name of that same Truth.  Adultery has completely redefined the marriage covenant, abortion has been virtually celebrated as a basic human right, and homosexuality is lifted up as a way of living (yet we typically blame them for attempting to redefine marriage).  Withholding the tithe from the Church has been deemed “ok” by the many who have bought into a false notion of prosperity, and even attendance of and participation in worship has been declared unnecessary by the many who claim to be “spiritual but not religious” (whatever that means).  We blaspheme the Holy Name in the name of “divine grace” because it suits our personal purposes and individual desires; and when we do not get our own way, we “blame” the Lord for ignoring us, for not being our personal genie, for not popping out of the bottle whenever we summon Him.  Ultimately we reject the authority of Scripture and the Church when these do not go along with what we desire for ourselves.  And when we don’t like “this” preacher’s truth, we seek “that” preacher whose truth aligns with our own.  In other words, we do not seek to learn; we only want to affirm what we think we already know.

I do think we all seek “truth”, but I also think we confuse “relative truth” with “fact”; that is, what we can physically see.  In this, then, we have forgotten that the Truth to which our Lord refers is not “truth” (or fact) which can be seen with our eyes or even understood with human minds.  We pit the Truth of the Old Testament against the Truth of the New Testament by way of “old truth” vs. “new truth”; and in so doing, we create for ourselves a new “god” whose name is Jesus and whom we lift above the One whom Jesus Himself calls “Father”.

The “Truth” to which Jesus refers is not something that pops into our heads as we are driving down the road.  This “Truth” cannot be imparted to us while we are “multi-tasking” our many burdens and responsibilities and are essentially distracted.  The Eternal Truth to which Jesus refers will come only to those who “diligently” seek by casting aside all else.  This does not mean we walk away from our responsibilities, but it does mean selfishly making time to spend only with our Lord in solitude just as we should set aside regular  “date nights” for our spouses to reconnect in that necessary, intimate relationship.  Sometimes when we are too busy with life, we are distracted from that which really matters and which has enduring value beyond the moment.

Let us make time for our Lord in solitude.  Let us rediscover and reclaim what “Sabbath” really means.  In this, then, let us discover Truth.  His Truth … and no other.

Blessings,
Michael  

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