Category: truth

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Sticks, Stones, and Words

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but names will never hurt me.” So goes the schoolyard chant. I beg to differ. While it may be true that sticks and stones may break bones, it is equally true that words can hurt, often in ways far worse than physical damage.

Now I don’t agree with the current way of thinking that wants “trigger warnings,” “safe places,” and other means of shielding people from speech and ideas that might challenge their own thinking. The desire to only see and hear what agrees with your presuppositions is a fast track to fear and ignorance. The lack of civil discourse is a growing problem in our society, even in the church.

I would agree that there is a point where we can become too careful with our words, walking on verbal eggshells in order to avoid making anyone feel bad. At the same time, I believe that those of us who follow Jesus are called to be careful with our speech. While we are to speak truth, we are called to do so in love. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says that using terms of contempt is equal to murder. Ephesians 4:29 tells us we are to not let any corrupting or unwholesome talk come out of our mouths but only say things that build one another up. I believe this goes beyond just an admonition to avoid cussing and dirty jokes.

In his letter, James tells us that our tongues should be instruments of blessing rather than cursing. Paul says that our words should be gracious and add “flavor” to others. All through Scripture we are commanded to guard our speech, to say things that build others up rather than tearing them down.

Most of can remember times when the words of another cut us to the quick and caused long lasting damage. If we’re honest, we can also remember times when we have done the same. Churches have split over things that have been said, as have whole denominations. Hateful, evil speech is not just a problem outside the church.

Jesus said that the world would know we are his by our love to one another. May we follow our Master and King by being careful and gracious with our words, and also being gracious and forgiving toward those who blow it, because we all will.
Let us grow more and more into the likeness of Christ Jesus in everything, including how we use our tongues.

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Blast From the Past: The Truth Hurts?

This was first posted on September 24, 2009.

Last night I saw a church sign which read, “If the truth hurts, it must be working.” Well, maybe. It is true that there are times when the truth does hurt in order to work, times when hard changes need to be made in our lives. We can all think of times when truth was spoken to us, causing us pain that, in turn, caused us to change.

Unfortunately, many times the truth is used as a club. Some have an idea that they know God’s truth and that it is their responsibility to make sure everyone knows it. They claim to be “speaking the truth in love,” saying that they are showing love simply by speaking the truth, no matter how harshly the message is proclaimed. Of course, sometimes the “truth” that they loudly speak is nothing more than their interpretation.

There is also truth that does not hurt. The message of God’s grace and mercy is one example. The promise of resurrection is another. And while it is true that we all struggle with sin, it is also true that the Father loves us unconditionally, has given us the Holy Spirit to work in us, and is forming us into the likeness of Jesus Christ.

The reality is that truth transforms as the Spirit takes it and uses it in the life of the Christ-follower. It may hurt, but then again it may feel wonderful.

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Repost: A Bit of Wisdom From Janis Joplin

This was first posted on September 15, 2011.

Really? Janis Joplin? I can explain. This evening, I was listening to the radio on the way home and heard the Joplin version of “Me and Bobby McGee,” and a line in that song started the wheels turning. Now I know some of you are thinking I need to get my wheels checked, that they might be just a little bit out of alignment. Bear with me here. I believe that all truth is God’s truth and that truth can be found in some unlikely places.

There is a line in the song that states, “Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose….” Possibly the writer of this song meant to say that it is only those who have nothing who are truly free, and an argument can be made for that. I see it a bit differently. Those who are truly free have nothing to lose. A major theme through Scripture is freedom. From the Exodus from Egypt and the laws concerning freeing servants and property, to the prophecies of One who will free the captives, the Old Testament is full of freedom.

When we think of freedom, we usually look to the New Testament. Jesus stated that he was the promised liberator of the captives. He told the people that true freedom came from the Son setting them free. Freedom echoes through the epistles, and in Galatians 5:1 we are told that we have been set free for … freedom. Think about that for a second. Freedom is the reason we have been set free! I would venture to say that God thinks freedom is pretty important.

If we have been made free in Christ, is there anything we have to lose? List all the things the world strives to hold on to: money, possessions, relationships, pleasures, reputation, power, etc.. Because we are alive in Christ, we are dead to those things and they are to have no hold on us anymore. When we think that we have to worry about losing those things, we are not thinking according to who we are, and we are not listening to our Shepherd’s voice. The Kingdom is described as a great treasure that is worth giving up everything else. The more we realize our freedom as a child of God and a co-heir with Jesus, and the more we live in that reality, the more we realize that because of freedom, we have nothing to lose. Even if we were to “lose” everything, if we are free in Christ we already have everything.

Live in freedom!

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Event News

On January 18-19, the city of Rock Hill, South Carolina will play host to what is shaping up to be a major conference on food and the arts, put on by Friday Arts Project. Friday Arts Project is a collective of artists committed to pursuing truth, goodness, and beauty with their work, providing a forum for dialogue enabling artists to inspire, engage, and create toward the renewal of hearts and culture. The Forum on Creativity in Food and Togetherness includes nationally known speakers and chefs, a documentary film titled “The Man Who Ate New Orleans,” works by local artists, and some fine dining prepared by local chefs.

If you live near Rock Hill, or would like to travel and experience Southern hospitality at its finest, consider attending. You can register on the Friday Arts Project website. I’ll be there, is any of you loyal readers want to meet in person and hang out. It’s only two weeks away, so you need to hurry.

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Table As Truth

This is the third installment in a series on table fellowship. I approach this subject with a bit of trepidation. Truth can be a touchy subject, as the term has been thrown around by those who believe that “truth” is the way they see things and those who believe that there is no real truth. I also wanted to avoid over spiritualizing the subject. There are a number of valid ways to approach the subject. I hope I have chosen one of them.

Among the definitions of truth in Webster’s dictionary are fidelity, constancy, sincerity in action, character, and utterance, and the body of real things. Truth is an important, yet seemingly rare, quality. Even those who believe that truth is relative want to know that they can trust certain people to be honest with them. Unfortunately, there seems to be an increasingly smaller number of folks who can be trusted to have fidelity, constancy, sincerity, and who are real.

One of the things that has become evident to me is the difficulty in being untrue when gathered around a table with family or friends. I guess it is possible to not be real while attending a large banquet or similar gathering, but small gatherings tend to be more intimate and revealing. When around the table, it is hard to fade into the woodwork and disappear. Conversation flows around the table, and the more time we spend with others, sharing food and talking, the more we get to know the real person. The masks come off around the table.

Inviting and accepting invitations to the table has long been a sign of acceptance and caring about the other. It is one way we can show love to others. Like the Velveteen Rabbit, we become real when we are loved and accepted. As we grow into that acceptance and love, we allow others to see who we really are, and we learn to accept them as they are. It is around the family table that children first learn social skills, and it is around the table that adults continue the lesson.

In Year of Plenty, Craig L. Goodwin writes about his family’s trip to Thailand:

Our experiences with food in Bangkok reminds me of how a pastor friend from Brazil, Claudio Oliver, helped me understand two unique words used to talk about food in Latin America. He explained to me that “alimento is what nutritionists recommend for you; comida is what your mum makes for you. Comida is what you would call soul food: family together, people talking, warm fresh veggies, sweet potatoes, corn bread, laughing, crying, prayer, thanksgiving, culture, old history, little ones learning who we are through food.” 

Let us learn fidelity, constancy, sincerity in action, character, and utterance, and being real around the table as we share food, drink, and conversation.
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Suffering

If you know any human being, you know someone who has suffered. Suffering is one thing we all have in common, to one degree or another. Through most of human history, suffering has been the norm. For the follower of Jesus, suffering is what our Lord told us would happen to us (John 16:33).

In the West, particularly in America, we seem to have bought the notion that suffering is something that happens to those who are “sinners,” or to those Christians who just don’t have enough faith. We don’t like suffering (I am included in that number). It hurts. It’s hard. It doesn’t fit our image of the “blessed life.” It lasts too long. I have heard this attitude described as wanting the crown without the cross. Take a look at the kind of preaching you will find in a lot of churches and organizations. There are steps to become a better (fill in the blank), principles to be happy, keys to finding your best life.

You don’t hear many sermons on Romans 5:3; 8:17-18; 2 Corinthians 1:5; Philippians 3:10; 1 Peter 2:19, and other passages that speak of our suffering as followers of Jesus, and how that suffering allows us the privilege of entering into the sufferings of Christ. We simply don’t take seriously the many times our Lord tells us that following him is going to cost us something. It’s not really anything big, just our life!

Some of us wouldn’t mind suffering so much if it didn’t take so doggone long. I think the word longsuffering is appropriate. Suffering seems to last and last, so we look for a quick fix, and when one can’t be found, we complain to God that it’s too hard and is going on too long. We live in an instant gratification culture, where you can get it quick and get it your way. What we forget is the simple fact that if we seriously follow Jesus, we give up the microwave, Burger King life. What we do get, we get in God’s timing and in his way. We don’t really like that. I know I don’t. It gets in the way and messes up our plans for a nice tidy life. It reminds us that Someone else is in control, not us.

Suffering is a fact of life, even for those who claim that their faith puts them above and beyond it. Wouldn’t it be better to suffer for the King and his Kingdom, knowing he can and will redeem it and that it can’t even begin to compare with the glory that awaits us? I think I’ll take that deal. God help me.

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A Bit of Wisdom From Janis Joplin

Really? Janis Joplin? I can explain. This evening, I was listening to the radio on the way home and heard the Joplin version of “Me and Bobby McGee,” and a line in that song started the wheels turning. Now I know some of you are thinking I need to get my wheels checked, that they might be just a little bit out of alignment. Bear with me here. I believe that all truth is God’s truth and that truth can be found in some unlikely places.

There is a line in the song that states, “Freedom’s just another word for nothin‘ left to lose….” Possibly the writer of this song meant to say that it is only those who have nothing who are truly free, and an argument can be made for that. I see it a bit differently. Those who are truly free have nothing to lose. A major theme through Scripture is freedom. From the Exodus from Egypt and the laws concerning freeing servants and property, to the prophecies of One who will free the captives, the Old Testament is full of freedom.
When we think of freedom, we usually look to the New Testament. Jesus stated that he was the promised liberator of the captives. He told the people that true freedom came from the Son setting them free. Freedom echoes through the epistles, and in Galatians 5:1 we are told that we have been set free for … freedom. Think about that for a second. Freedom is the reason we have been set free! I would venture to say that God thinks freedom is pretty important.
If we have been made free in Christ, is there anything we have to lose? List all the things the world strives to hold on to: money, possessions, relationships, pleasures, reputation, power, etc.. Because we are alive in Christ, we are dead to those things and they are to have no hold on us anymore. When we think that have to worry about losing those things, we are not thinking according to who we are, and we are not listening to our Shepherd’s voice. The Kingdom is described as a great treasure that is worth giving up everything else. The more we realize our freedom as a child of God and a co-heir with Jesus, and the more we live in that reality, the more we realize that because of freedom, we have nothing to lose. Even if we were to “lose” everything, if we are free in Christ we already have everything.
Live in freedom!
Posted on

The Truth Hurts?

Last night I saw a church sign which read, “If the truth hurts, it must be working.” Well, maybe. It is true that there are times when the truth does hurt in order to work, times when hard changes need to be made in our lives. We can all think of times when truth was spoken to us, causing us pain that, in turn, caused us to change.

Unfortunately, many times the truth is used as a club. Some have an idea that they know God’s truth and that it is their responsibility to make sure everyone knows it. They claim to be “speaking the truth in love,” saying that they are showing love simply by speaking the truth, no matter how harshly the message is proclaimed. Of course, sometimes the “truth” that they loudly speak is nothing more than their interpretation.

There is also truth that does not hurt. The message of God’s grace and mercy is one example. The promise of resurrection is another. And while it is true that we all struggle with sin, it is also true that the Father loves us unconditionally, has given us the Holy Spirit to work in us, and is forming us into the likeness of Jesus Christ.

The reality is that truth transforms as the Spirit takes it and uses it in the life of the Christ-follower. It may hurt, but then again it may feel wonderful.