Wikipedia- Partial Map of the internet
What is Your Information Source?
Scripture: "The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the decrees of the Lord are sure, making wise the simple; the precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart; the commandment of the Lord is clear, enlightening the eyes; the fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever; the ordinances of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, even much fine gold; sweeter also than honey, and drippings from the honeycomb." - Psalm 19:7-10
Today is 4/11. Many of those under 35 do not know what "dial 4-1-1" means. We may know what 9-1-1 means (emergency), but from 1930-2023, you would often hear on the other end of a 4-1-1 dial: "Information." The free directory assistance service was discontinued by AT&T in 2022 for cell users and in 2023 for landline users. With Google, and certain directory search engines as well as screens on cars that pull up directories, 4-1-1 became obsolete. However, since 4-1-1 was eliminated, the most helpful directory assistance websites either require payment or make you put up with annoying advertising. So where do you go for information?
We live in a time of information overload. We have access to more information than we can use. We also have so many prejudicial sources of information that we recognize that most truths are hidden and combined with a layer of slant or agenda. We have become so used to this that some have given up on believing there is any truth (or trustworthy information) at all in the world.
When confronted face-to-face with the living Truth of God in the flesh, Pontious Pilate asked the famous (pagan) question of doubt: "What is truth?"
So where do you go for real, deep information (epistemology)?
Some say to trust the truth to the experts. Certainly, we do this to a certain extent. When a car repairman services my brakes, I trust the brake expert more than my ability to even check on what he is doing. The problem is that sometimes experts get it wrong. When the locomotive was invented, one "expert" said the human body could not endure traveling at such speed and with such noise, thinking such travel would "injure the brain." Experts can contradict each other with half-truths. Just look at the political "experts" and debates of our day.
Our confessions speak of the Bible and especially the person and words of Jesus Christ as being the measure of real Truth and information. Jesus is the incarnation of God's love. In some ways, the whole Protestant Reformation was about putting the Bible in the language of the people (vernacular) and then putting that Bible in the hands of the people – teaching them to read it. One of the reasons we have so many Bible studies is we believe that what we ought to believe and do is found in the scriptures.
In addition to the scriptures themselves, we also need the church (and one another) to help us discern what the Holy Spirit is saying to us today through the scriptures. The information we receive is not just for trivial pursuit or encyclopedic storage but for application to change us and the world to make earth more like heaven itself.
So do not be afraid to seek the most important information from the One who claimed to be the Way, the Truth, and the Life (John 14:6). He is the One who said, "Your Word is Truth" (John 17:17). The word "Gospel" can be translated as "good news” or "good message" or "good information."
The most important information is information that will affect us both now and in eternity. Part of our calling is to not keep the really great information to ourselves but to tell others how to have the hope, joy, and love that is within us. Look for ways to pass that 4-1-1, that important information, on to others.
Prayer: Lord, your commands are true and righteous altogether. In a drowning sea of information and misinformation, help me see your Word as my lifeline to hope and truth. Give me a heart to seek you in scripture and ears to hear your Spirit speaking to my heart. Amen.
No comments:
Post a Comment