[Jesus said,] “For this I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth….” Pilate asked him, “What is truth?” (from John 18:37-38)

In my last sermon, I mentioned the messy political situation in this country. I noted “conflicting interpretations” concerning many particularly controversial topics in our culture. That leaves us in the same quandary as Pilate. “What is truth?”

My Old Testament professor, Walter Brueggemann, taught that the Old Testament is a dialogue between royal and prophetic theology. Royal theology teaches values like personal responsibility, obedience, and tradition. Prophetic theology teaches values like empathy, hospitality, and originality. Often those perspectives could work together, but sometimes they disagreed. Truth was embodied in King David. He listened to advice from both royal advisors and prophets. He did not choose middle ground but weighed each side carefully before deciding one way or other.

I remember a large church in Quincy, Illinois, that was having trouble surviving because a strike at a local factory was breeding mistrust among its members. Some of those members were from labor, and some were from management. The consistory invited the whole congregation to a Saturday evening gathering. Non-members of the congregation from management expressed their side of the company dispute. Non-members of the congregation from labor expressed their side. Congregational members did not debate or vote; they simply listened. About five percent of the congregation dropped out of the church after that evening, upset that those they disagreed with had been given a voice. But within a couple of years, that congregation gained more than that number of new members because people felt respected no matter which side of the issue they were on.

I think I was wrong to suggest that “conflicting interpretations” make things messy politically. The challenge for us is not to find perfect agreement regarding the truth, but to find respect for people who disagree with our interpretation of truth. After all, Jesus did not complain that Jerusalem did not know right from wrong. He cried that Jerusalem had silenced the voice of the prophets. (Luke 13:34)

Peace,
Rev. Tim Darmour-Paul