Living the truth

When I gaze at the empty page of my journal, just before I put pen to paper, I sometimes marvel that what I won’t record is infinitely more poignant than anything that I can write. The same is true when I attempt to record my thoughts here, especially after a long lapse. It is hard to accurately talk about things in progress, without undermining the sense of magic and mystery that is so much a part of the journey.

In the past month or so, we have been busy with team building, and ministry to our young disciples, with whom we are studying the book of Acts. Some ministry sessions have literally come out of the pages of Acts, in particular, the stories of chapter 19.

As we grew closer to the young men we disciple, they confided in us that they had joined a gang in the past, one which supposedly taught its members to pray to “God” for all kinds of supernatural powers, including extraordinary strength to fight or even to attract girls. What was clear was that the name of God was invoked to practice darkness, giving evil a cloak of spirituality.

We led the boys to renounce their past, and burn the objects of gang membership. The gang had also made them copy certain prayers which would bestow strength and power upon them in times of need. Those too were thrown into the bonfire.

Having come face to face with counterfeit spirituality and the fruit of deception, I have reflected deeply on our call to walk in the light, and model true spirituality. Against this backdrop, I feel like I am reading the bible for the first time ever.

In particular, 2 Corinthians and the book of 1 John have gripped my heart.

“This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all.” [1 John 1:5]

Confronted as they are with so much vain religiosity, false piety and cunning deception, how do young believers discern between real and fake spirituality, if our lives do not model true love for God and real goodness? The call is clear: We are to teach and model the truth, against which the boys can discern the counterfeits – of which there are very many!

Thus, when I read Paul’s passionate defence of his authority in Christ to his sometimes divided and confused flock, I understand better why he subjected himself to such a high moral standard of being and doing.

“We can say with confidence and a clear conscience that we have lived with a God-given holiness and sincerity in all our dealings.” [2 Cor 1:12b]

“We reject all shameful deeds and underhanded methods. We don’t try to trick anyone or distort the word of God.” [2 Cor 4:2]

These reflections have reminded me of an interesting point that was made by my missions professor. He reminded us that two-thirds of the New Testament was written by Paul, the greatest frontier missionary ever. And they were written while he was on the field, working through unprecedented challenges as the gospel took root in non-Jewish soil. The New Testament was born out of frontier missions. Paul’s deep theological reflections did not come out of an abstract, academic exercise in the ivory tower, but they were birthed in the midst of persecution, shipwrecks, imprisonment, while taking the gospel to new lands.

Such was the context for the New Testament. Hence, when we read the New Testament as passive observers and not active co-workers of Jesus in His  mission, are we missing the point? 

"Truth is not a sum of statements, not a definition, not a system of concepts but a life...Just as the truth was a life in Christ, so too, for us truth must be lived." (Kierkegaard) 


May God help us to embody the truth such that every counterfeit is exposed in the light of the truth that we live out.