Lent 4
Donna Joy

John 3:15-21

Those who do what is true come to the light… (John 3:21a)

It is interesting to note that in her book ‘Let’s Talk About Truth’, Ann Garrido begins with a reflection on this passage. In this book, she explores the multi layered meanings of truth: (1) How can we ever really know that our perceptions are accurate – representing some kind of truth; (2) In a world where there is so much diversity, how do we discern any sense of truth in the midst of it all; (3) In a world, and often church, where half-truths and fake-truths abound, how do we learn to see and speak truth – as we see it – in love; and all this leads us to Jesus’ message this morning, that is, (4) How do we learn how to live truth; that is, how do we learn how to do what is true..

So, firstly, How can we ever know that our perceptions are accurate; that is, respecting some kind of authentic truth? Ann Garrido suggests that this has much to do with how we see the world because our perceptions are rooted in those views. It is true that here in Winnipeg the snow is melting and based on the work of competent meteorologists as well as an historical analysis of weather patterns throughout the prairies, we are justified in believing – trusting - that spring is on the way. My perception that spring just MAY be on the way, may be somewhat accurate. It is true that COVID vaccines are arriving and based on reports received, the process for administering them is underway. My perception that vaccines are coming, is likely accurate.

Living truth, however, means more than just knowing a bunch of facts about reality. It requires the ability to figure out which facts to pay attention to and how to put those facts together in a way that makes sense so we can live in it truthfully and well. So, a second and slightly more challenging way of living truth involves becoming aware of how you arrive at conclusions about things.

One controversial and widely ‘debated’ issue over the past year has been among church leaders regarding in-building worship. Some say that the faithful decision in the midst of this COVID time is to gather in our buildings for worship, because that is what God calls us to do. Others say that the faithful decision is to stay home because that is what is required to minimize the spread of this disease.

There are some who say that COVID-19 is likely connected to the climate crisis. Some say that the climate crisis is not rooted in any kind of truth at all; that it is nothing more than a liberal agenda. Others argue that it is most certainly based on solid scientific research and findings. But what we often forget is that we are obligated to make sure that our opinions are based on the best – most reliable - information possible.

Living truth means being willing to explore and assess the worthiness of our opinions. It is not sufficient to simply say that I feel safe worshiping in our building, therefore its doors should be open. I need to ask myself what information has led me to this conclusion. So, how can my representation of the truth transcend the growing trend of fake truth.

Once we’ve done the necessary work of exploring what information is shaping our understanding of truth, we need to be prepared to speak the truth – in love – boldly and courageously, even if what we believe is true puts us in a minority position. I’m no expert in environmental issues, but my modest exploration into this has led me to believe that concerns about a climate crisis are substantiated, and I believe there is truth in this conviction.

If I’m at a dinner part with a number of powerful and influential people who deny the climate crisis, I hope and pray that I would have the courage to first listen, for the purpose of understanding, the source of their views, and also speak my understanding of the truth. If someone is sharing negative information about someone with whom they’re not prepared to share directly, we are called to end the conversation promptly and urge him/her to speak directly with the person who is the subject of that conversation.

Remember: If anyone speaks negatively about someone without having spoken to that person directly, one of three things is likely happening, none of which is good: (1) he/she may be afraid of confrontation; but speaking about someone instead of directly to them is an effective way of driving a wedge between people, risking unity within a community; (2 it is possible that he/she may actually be embellishing the negative discourse in order to ‘bear false witness against their neighbour’ – which, of course is just a biblical way of speaking about gossip, or fake news; (3) he/she may actually be trying to gain power by drawing others into their negative discourse. (At. St. Peter’s we took a close look at this behaviour when we studied the book: ‘Difficult Conversations: How to Talk About What Really Matters.’) Speaking truth in love is all part of living the truth. Finally, further to this relational/relationship piece, living truth impacts on how we relate to others.

The Hebrew work for truth is ‘emet’, which means more than accuracy or honesty. At its core, emet means faithfulness, reliability, protective strength you can count on. My David is quite fluent in biblical Hebrew, so when he read this sermon last night he reminded me that I could be doing so much more with this really important biblical word… I reminded him that while he is not wrong about this, Zoom worship requires brevity so a further unpacking of that word will have to wait for another time!

That said, one more interesting reflection on that word, though… According to certain Jewish lore, when God formed the first human from the clay of the earth God breathed life into the creature and roused it into action by way of exhaling a single Hebrew word – emet – meaning ‘truth.’

So, in a sense, all truth comes directly from God whose very breath rouses us into action. Keep in mind that all those – such as scientists – who help us make sense of the world were created by God whose breath rouses them into action. Think about it this way: if all truth comes from God, then any understanding we may have of truth must be understood in relationship with others. (… to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and our neighbour as ourselves.) Living truth is complicated because we will always be managing a variety of different perceptions of truth, but we are called to find unity in the midst of this diversity. Trust me, I know that this commitment to truth along with the hard work that is required to stay the course… I know this is hard. So much so, in fact, that we cannot do this on our own.

This is where we return (briefly) to the Gospel this morning where Jesus tells his nighttime visitor, Nicodemus, “Those who do what is true come to the light.” And the illustration he uses is one of the Son of Man being raised up as was Moses. The reference to Moses speaks of a time when the Israelites have been complaining as they journey through the wilderness… they complain about God’s place in their hardships, and they complain about Moses’ leadership. They discover, however, that things could be worse, as they soon experience an infestation of venomous snakes. Even though Moses has been a victim of their complaining, he prays to God that they may be healed. According to God’s instructions, Moses makes a bronze snake and places it high on a pole, so anyone suffering from snake bites can look at it and be healed.

In this morning’s reading Jesus is suggesting that – with him - this image will emerge as a new expression of that event. That is, he will be nailed to a cross in the sight of, and for the sake of, the whole world. What leads Jesus to the cross is lies, power seeking, cowardice… a lack of commitment to living truth. As he suffers and dies on that torturous instrument of death, he absorbs all that behaviour (which, like Moses’ bronze snake can only be defined as evil). Our response to this gift is to gaze up at him on that cross, repent of those times when we have not done, or said, or been the living truth to which Jesus calls us, discover the gift of forgiveness, and recommit to living lives that are born out of God’s truth. If we have decided that we will move toward the light that Jesus talks about, we must be serious about gazing at him on the cross and letting his practice of truth permeate every area of our lives.

Imagine what would happen if – with God’s help - each of us committed to these four practices this week: (1) seeing things as accurately as possible; (2) forming our opinions as carefully as possible; (3) speaking as honestly (and lovingly) as possible, and (4) honouring our relationships with others as – together – we embark upon this journey toward truth. Amen. May it be so…