Jesus Grace International Church
Each Sunday, a group of African immigrants and refugees has gathered in Vancouver to worship and fellowship together. They have come from Congo, Uganda, Kenya and other African countries and now reside in Greater Vancouver.
Each person comes with their own story, and all are glad to make their home in Canada. Their worship is spirited. It is sincere, and it is always a blessing for me to worship with them. It has been hard for them to not be able to physically gather together these days. They love to worship and fellowship in community. They share life with one another, and this does not work well via ZOOM.
While they love Canada, they have left something of their hearts with family and friends in Africa. They are aware that those they have left behind may remain in refugee camps and in hardship, and they care deeply for them. They pray and find ways to be a support to them.
I am thankful for Pastor Sammy and Eva Kabyemera, their leadership team and their church family. They love our Lord and they love those they serve in His Name. Please pray for this church family as they minister and find their way in Canada, and as they reach out to brothers and sisters in Africa.
Pastor Sammy and Eva have just returned safely from Uganda, from the burial of Sammy’s mother. With travel and COVID policies, they have faced considerable expense. Those who are able to assist with a love gift can E-transfer funds to Sammy at sammykabyemera15@gmail.com.
Here is a link to their church website: https://www.jgiccanada.com/
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My Truth, Your Truth, Truthiness and Truth
In 2005, American TV host. Stephen Colbert coined the term “truthiness.” It refers to choosing to believe what we “feel” to be true, regardless of the facts.
I believe that all of us could be accused of truthiness at one time or another. Ever since the Garden of Eden, mankind has a history of choosing to believe what we want to be true, rather than what God has spoken or what the facts support.
Sometimes, “truthiness” has little or no consequence. It may simply be be an opinion. At other times, it can be a matter of life and death, or even of eternal life or death…
Recently, a friend was diagnosed with a life threatening condition. No matter what he may feel or want to believe (i.e. “truthiness”), all the tests revealed and medical counsel insisted that his condition demanded immediate intervention through surgery. In such a case, choosing “truthiness” over truth would result in a much shorter lifespan than he would choose. As President Theodore Roosevelt once said, “In the long run, the most unpleasant truth is a safer companion than a pleasant falsehood.”
Today, we often hear people using the phrase, “my truth,” verses “your truth.” As Indian writer Amish Tripathi writes, “There is your truth and there is my truth. As for universal truth, it does not exist.”
Such thinking is prevalent today. In these days of COVID, we have seen this attitude displayed daily. We deal with a range of “truth,” from “anti-maskers” to those who have gone into isolation for fear of the virus. We face this in our churches, and even when we are able to gather again, we will face a range of opinions and behaviors from those who will want to hug everyone in Christian love, to those who will avoid a handshake and even as “elbow bump.”
In coming alongside churches, I have encountered this sense of “personal truth” as we have dealt with matters of sin and its consequences. The question might be asked, “Can we be both truthful/biblical and loving, or must we choose between the two?” We are called to be people of both truth and love.
Christ claimed, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” (John 14:6,7). If we are to beleive Jesus, this is not “truthiness” or “alternate truth.” For Christ to be the way, the truth and the life, it took Him to the cross, and salvation is through faith in Him and his accomplished work, not our efforts.
The Apostle Paul writes, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness…” (2 Timothy 3:16).
As EFCC people, our conviction is that:
God’s gospel is authoritatively revealed in the Scriptures.(EFCC Statement of Faith, Article #2)
We believe that God has spoken in the Scriptures, both Old and New Testaments, through the words of human authors. As the verbally inspired Word of God, the Bible is without error in the original writings, the complete revelation of His will for salvation, and the ultimate authority by which every realm of human knowledge and endeavour should be judged. Therefore, it is to be believed in all that it teaches, obeyed in all that it requires, and trusted in all that it promises.
Our measure of truth is not our feelings or even our wishes. It is God’s Word. This is how we determine both our origin and value as human beings – created in God’s image. This is how we learn of God’s purposes for His people, our rebellion and His plan to redeem us as His own – and at His expense. This is how we learn of our eternal hope, and recognize that we are but “temporary residents” here on earth. Our citizenship is elsewhere – in heaven. This is not simply “my truth,” “your truth” or “truthiness.” It is not “a” truth. Christ has not left us that option.
As C.S. Lewis wrote, “You never know how much you really believe anything until its truth or falsehood becomes a matter of life and death to you.”
So, how do we hold on to, live and share truth in a culture of “truthiness” and “cancel culture?” Sometimes, we might deserve to be “cancelled.” Some, in the Name of Christ present a message of condemnation that comes across as angry and likely hypocritical. Paul reminds us that without love, we are no more than an annoyance – “a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal.” (1 Cor 13:1).
Here are a couple of suggestions from some fellow pastors. The first is by Pastor Daniel Darling of Tennessee, who writes, How to Lead Your Church in a Truth-Averse Culture. Though he speaks to the American context, he offers some good advice regarding both “conspiracy theories” and those who follow them. Here is the link:
how-to-lead-your-church-in-a-truth-averse-culture
Here is a second article that speaks to how we engage culture. Author Cap Stewart (no relation), in his article, “If You’re Fighting the Culture War, You’re Losing,” writes, “Again, the deciding factor is the nature of our engagement. Are we seeking to destroy or to rescue our opponents? When we correct or oppose or reprove, is it with the goal of winning the conversation or winning a neighbor? Do we confront others in the right spirit?” Here’s the link:
if-youre-fighting-the-culture-war-youre-losing
By God’s grace, may we be known by our love – and by our love for truth.
