Each member of the church council at Saint Luke Lutheran Church in Devon, PA, is asked to give a brief devotional at the start of the monthly council meeting. I drew the short straw for January 11, 2021. Originally I thought I would address the societal conflict between Obligation and Rights (more on that elsewhere). But, given the horrific events of June 6th, I changed course and tried to get at a Christian’s responsibility to know and share the Truth (as well as the lower case t truth). What follows is my devotional from that evening:
In the last five years the very bedrock of what I thought was the Truth (and the lower case “t” truth) has been shaken. Beginning in the summer of 2016, I started hearing people say things like, “he says what everyone else is afraid to say”. Really? Other people have been wanting to say those things? Starting about that time I began to notice that debunking a blatant falsehood didn’t seem to matter anymore. Really, it’s suddenly okay to continue to tell a lie even though we all know it’s a lie?
In trying to better understand what was going on, I read a book in the Fall of 2016, “Nothing is Real, Everything is Possible”, by a journalist, Peter Pomerantsev, who worked for the Russian Television Network. Pomeranstsev describes how the Russian people have been lied to by their leaders, The Czar, the USSR, and now Putin, for so long they simply feel that nothing is real, and no matter what outlandish thing they are told, it is possible. This of course is not a new problem. The apostle Paul offers this advise about knowing the truth to the Ephesians:
Ephesians chapter 4
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of people in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ. 16 From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
Maturity is important because it keeps believers from being deceived by false teachings (Ephesians 4:14). Instead, mature believers can speak the truth in love (Ephesians j4:15), focusing on Christ who keeps the body of Christ together (Ephesians 4:16).
As part of this, each believer is called to speak truth to "his neighbor" since we are family (Ephesians 4:25). We are not to sin when angry (Ephesians 4:26), not giving the Devil an opportunity or advantage in our lives (Ephesians 4:27). Believers are to work honestly (Ephesians 4:28), speak encouragement (Ephesians 4:29). Believers are called to put away sinful practices and attitudes (Ephesians 4:31), being kind to one another and forgiving, as Christ has forgiven us (Ephesians 4:32).
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Let us pray, Lord God, thank you for this fellowship of believers and give each of us the strength and courage to continue seeking and speaking the truth to our neighbors. Amen