Pastor's Corner: What is truth

As seen on a church reader board a number of years ago: “What is truth? Ask God — She has the answer.” Can you imagine the stir that created. While no one asked the person who put it up what was behind it, there was talk about God and the sign throughout the time it was on the church’s reader board. Everywhere one went around town people were talking about God — in the schools, the restaurants, banks, pharmacy, post office, court office sheriff’s department, liquor store, and the health care office. The moment the reader board was changed, all talk about God ceased.

And yes, the people weren’t talking so much about God as about the audacity of someone to refer to God as a she! The reality of it is, there is some biblical truth to the statement which is found in the first creation story Genesis 1:26-27 CEB, “Let us make humanity in our image to resemble us ... male and female.” Ah, so according to the Bible, God is also a she! Now, I’m not going to tell you how to believe or what really is the truth because we all have our own beliefs about what is true.

So why do I bring this up? All we have to do is turn on our radio, our TV, access the internet, or open our mail and we are bombarded with a whole variety of folks trying to influence us about some issue or candidate and what they are touting as the truth. Is there truth in what they are saying? Sure — just not the whole truth. Our task is to do our own homework and decide for ourselves who is telling more of the truth.

The same can be said when it comes to our religious beliefs. For most of us, we grew up going to the church of our parents, provided they went to church and didn’t just drop us off at the door. We learned our religious beliefs based upon that particular church’s beliefs and what they preached as the gospel truth. Not all of the churches claim the same beliefs or truths and yet all Christian churches utilize one translation of the bible or another — with some churches claiming that the King James Bible is a truer translation that some of the newer translations, and other churches believing just the opposite. Can any of us really say which is right? Probably not, unless of course you are one of the few individuals who are fluent in the ancient languages. Oh, and those that are don’t always agree.

Here are some truths that, I believe, we as Christians can all believe in: God loves us all unconditionally; Jesus Christ lived among us and died on the cross that our sins would be forgiven; and that the Holy Spirit lives within each of us to lead us and guide us in the ways of God and Jesus Christ.

What is truth? Do your research, and then — ask God!

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The Rev. William D. “Mac” McGrew

Pastor, Van Orsdel United Methodist Church