I recently read an article that said, in the 1960s, public trust in government was almost 80%. Today in the wake of numerous scandals—Watergate, misleading propaganda behind the Vietnam and Iraq Wars—it is less than 20%. Most Americans believe our government is trying to pull the wool over our eyes … to mislead us and manipulate information in ways to where we’ll reach false conclusions.
It’s not at all unlike the religious authorities who, in Jesus’ day, sought to discount the reality of the resurrection by claiming the disciples stole his body.
While the use of social media has made it easier than ever to promote conspiracy theories, distrust of authority has deeper roots. A worldview known as postmodern relativism has made great inroads in America. Simply stated, this notion claims that while our minds interpret our senses, since they are both personal and subjective, the conclusions we reach about what’s true must also be personal and subjective. According to a recent Barna study, 66% of adults and 91% of teenagers don’t believe in absolute truth.
So—how are Christians to advance biblical truth in a culture that doesn’t buy it? How are we to overcome the bias of a society predisposed to poke holes in the idea that there’s such a thing as “absolute truth.”
In a culture like ours, we must demonstrate the truthfulness of Scripture by how we live. We must make the word “Christian” more than some casual label we check when a survey asks for our religious affiliation—it must be an undertaking that profoundly informs, guides, and shapes our day-in, day-out lives. When we show others the difference the truth of God’s Word has made in us by our lifestyle, the Holy Spirit will use that to speak to people.
Seems to me, in a very real sense, we’re at a place similar to where the first followers of Jesus were. They had no formal collection of sacred writings or significant status in the Roman Empire. All they had was the power of their example. But when others saw the relevance of their truth in how they lived, many were drawn to the faith. May we be people who focus not so much on “speaking truth” or “defending truth” but on “living truth” so that people can see it in us.