This month we are going to look at some of the lies that Christians love. For some folks, this series might seem kind of negative. My hope and prayer is that we carve out honest spaces together where we can explore the tough questions of life and faith. Lies are woven into the fabric of our theology. Lies like “The safest place to be is in the center of God’s will,” really? Based on the stories in the Bible it seems fairly dangerous to me. Or, “God helps those who help themselves.” And “Everything happens for a reason.” There are lies we swim in and don’t really think about until someone points them out, like the lie of our beautiful stained glass that says “Jesus Christ was actually a Dutch man!”
I regularly hear people say, “we’re all addicted to something.” I think that is true and a cornerstone of addiction recovery is telling the truth. We need to find a house where the truth is told, even if that house is simply the soul of another human being. I want our community of faith to be a house where the truth is told. Charles Spurgeon said, “Tear off your masks. The church was never meant to be a masquerade.”
We all have lies that we love. These lies help us get through the day, help us feel better about ourselves and our world. But these lies also obscure reality, and we are people who live in what is real and true. Worst of all these lies obscure the person of Jesus who says “I am the way, the truth, and the life.” (John 14:6) If we are going to live in what is real, we need to see through these lies, let go of them, and embrace the good & beautiful reality found in the kingdom of God.
Susie Grade 