Truth Claims
The following short excerpt is from Tim Keller, and the Scripture is Luke 23: 34 Jesus said, Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing. John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.
To say, No one should make truth claims because that leads to oppression and is just a power play is the biggest power play of all. Everybody does make and believes truth claims, and to say that no one should say that they have the truth is itself a power trip and a way of getting on top. It is not making a truth claim that leads to oppression, but it is what is in the claim.
Several years ago I was absolutely amazed by the reports that came from the Amish community when a man came into the school and slaughtered those little Amish school girls. We understand that one of the little girls who was killed offered to die for the rest of them. She said, Kill me and let the rest go.
They did not watch television or movies, so where would she have gotten that idea of dying for her friends? When it was all over the reporters themselves were amazed that the community and the bereaved families not only forgave the man who did it, but they took up a collection and prayed for the widow and the children of the man who did it.
Now by anyone s definition the Amish are fundamentalists, and they believe that they have the truth. Have you ever heard anyone say, Fundamentalists think that they know the truth, and that leads to oppression? It did not lead to oppression there, and why not? Because it depends on what the fundamental is? The fundamental in this case is a man dying on a cross for his enemies-a man with whose last breath blesses the people around him and prays for their forgiveness. If you take that into the very center of your life, then you begin to see that it is not truth claims that lead to oppression and erode freedom but what is in the truth claim.
Champions, have a great week!-David Vining
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