Sermonstudio

The old story is told about two painters; two artists. Now, the story may be from Greece and may be true, or it may be from some other place and be even more than true. I'm not sure. But the story goes like this:

Each of our two artists was extremely talented and each had their own audiences of followers. As you might expect, and maybe even have experienced, it is difficult for two people to be seen as the best at anything. So eventually, the decision was made to host a competition to determine which of the two was truly the best. A panel of experts was selected who would serve as the judges. Once and for all, the question of "best" would be put to rest.

On the day of the judging, so many people had come to watch that it was decided to hold the contest outdoors. Because of the sun and wind, and perhaps to raise the suspense just a bit, both paintings were to be covered with draperies until each was revealed and judged, one at a time.

The drapery was removed from the first painting.

The judges and the audience gasped as they looked at the image that appeared on the canvas. It was a still life of flowers and fruit. And it looked so real. The colors and the shading were so authentic. In fact, after a few moments, some birds even flew down from the trees and tried to pick the grapes that were painted on the canvas. The crowd cheered as the artist smiled and nodded to the judges who were clearly shaken. All were overcome by the obvious talent of this artist. There was even some discussion as to whether it was even necessary to look at the second painting. But it was decided that they did have to be fair. Even if it was a waste of time.

The drapery was removed from the second painting.

Or at least a judge tried to remove the drapery from the second painting. But as he looked closer, he found that he could not remove the drapery. The drapery covering the second painting was, in actual fact, the painting itself. As the judges and the audience began to realize what was happening, they grew silent. Then a cheer erupted that echoed through the courtyard. The best artist was selected. One painting looked real enough to fool birds, while the second was so real it had fooled everyone.

Sometimes, we all have trouble picking out the real from the unreal. The true from the untrue, or only partially true. There are some thirty different news channels on television today. Many of them are openly biased to a particular political or cultural agenda, so we clearly understand that what we are hearing may reflect that bias. Some channels claim to be bias-free, presenting events "just as they happen," but when we listen to the same story on two different channels, they are often different. Which is real? Which is the truth? How do we know?

Those who are tapped into the digital world have even more problems finding truth. The internet has created a culture in which everyone is an expert; and anyone can publish their thoughts, beliefs, and opinions, with the same level of apparent credibility as anyone else. How do we sort through all of those words and identify what is real? How do we find the truth in the mix of untruths, partial truths, and just complete nonsense?

Don't misunderstand; I'm not bashing either television news or the internet. The problem I am describing is not new, is not the result of some evil technology, or some sign of the end of the world. The people of Galatia had exactly the same problem some 2,000 years ago. There was no television news, and no internet, but the truth was no easier to find just the same. Every street corner had another temple and a street-corner preacher announcing his reality and the one sure way to truth. Imagine for a moment a walk down one of those streets.

There's one guy, over on the left. He is preaching that the truth was to be found through burning incense to the statue of a bull. Come inside and pay your money, burn your incense, and find the answers you seek. You will probably have a decent wheat crop as well. And he explains how he knows this is the truth. Worship of the bull comes from far off Babylon, and has been around since before the time of Abraham. Anything that old has to be true.

There, on the corner across the street, is a man standing on the steps with the pretty girls. That's one of the Greek temples. He is inviting people in to also burn incense, but then to have sexual relations with the temple prostitutes to guarantee the fertility of the flocks and fields. He knows that this is the one true way to worship, because it was written in the story of the goddess Isis, and everyone knows the truth of that story.

We're not going to go down that side street. That's the temple of Dagon. It is a dark place, where the man outside invites you inside where you will present one of your children to be offered to the god of thunder. Anything serious enough to call for child sacrifice has to be true, doesn't it?

But back over here is the Jewish synagogue. They have lots of rules to follow, and they don't mix much with other people. They talk about a God that has led them through trial after trial, and has brought them out of some amazing situations. They talk about that one God, who created the entire world. They say you should occasionally sacrifice a dove or a goat, but just at certain holidays, and they don't believe in things like temple prostitutes and child sacrifice. They talk about how their God actually spoke to them through Abraham, and then God's words were passed down through a long line of people, down to Rabbi Horam, then Rabbi Ezra, and even old Rabbi Gamaliel who lives just down the street. The story they all tell sure sounds real.

Then there is Paul. He came to town a few years ago talking about the new group following Jesus, whom they say is the actual Son of God. He has visited several times since, and has written us a number of letters telling us more about what he has experienced, and how Jesus has completely turned his life around. Paul says that he is offering us the one true way.

So, how do we know? How do we determine the truth?

There is a way. We refer to it as going to the original source. As you listen to the news look for those broadcasts that present the people actually involved in the events being described, and not just a news "analyst" giving an interpretation. We are attempting to teach our children that as they search the internet to try and find out who is actually writing the information they are reading. Is it someone who has the real expertise to understand what they are writing about, or are they just some unknown person giving an uneducated opinion. It is an important skill to learn.

The same approach works for our questions of faith, and this is the one thing that sets Paul apart from the other faith vendors we face each and every day. Paul is not asking us to follow some God that existed in Babylon, and is written up in the old stories. He is not asking us to follow some God that the Greeks admire, or a God who once did some amazing things for a bunch of people who sacrifice the right stuff. Paul simply stopped by the house, and wrote to us in some letters, to tell us what God had done in his life. It's that original source thing. Others can speak from tradition and stories and hopes, while Paul speaks to us from his own personal experience. And there were enough folks around who knew Paul back when he was Saul, to know that the change that had taken place was indeed real. It was the truth.

This is important for us to know as we choose which path we are going to follow as we go through each day. It is even more important as we think about how we will share what we believe with others. We can work to memorize stories and scriptures. We can study theology to be prepared to hold our own in any argument. Or, we can figure out how to simply tell what we have experienced. I have my own hunch which is more valuable. If I were in trouble, and you came to me to help me through, I'll tell you what I would prefer. Rather than hear you say to me, "Here is what I've been told God will do," or "Remember that passage that says ..." I think I would be much more interested in hearing you say, "Let me tell you what God did for me...."

One sounds more like an opinion. The other sounds like the truth. One sounds more like a painting. The other sounds really real.

Real is better.