Gleanings – Your Life and Objective Truth

Proper 9, Thursday, July 11, 2013

Luke 24:36-53

“Repentance and forgiveness of sins should be preached in his name to all nations.”

One of the things life should impress upon is that not everyone sees the world as we see it, not everyone experiences the same thing in the same event. We see life through our filter and our filter is unique. I have two siblings. There are only five and half years between the three of us. Yet, if you asked each one to describe family life in our home of origin, the answers would vary greatly and even be at odds with the others on some significant points. This would be especially true in a home that values independence above things communal.

But God says there a condition common to man (read mankind). No filter, however unique, will change it. It is objective. It is not subjective. What is this condition? We are people who need to come about and access real life through the forgiveness of sins.

Common to man? Yes, the message is to be preached to all nations.  It applies to us and applies equally regardless of who we are or where we live or whatever lens through which we see the world filters our data. All nations. To persons in every port!

Come about? Yes, we are to stop and do a 180.  We are not tacking as we beat against the wind. We are meant to come about and sail with the wind. Running over beating is preferred. We cannot live the intended life with our back to God. We must sail toward him. By design there is a lot less resistance in running with or before the wind.

Access real life through the forgiveness of sins? Yes, sin is an anchor. The weight of it will cause us to sink, as in from Smeagol to Gollum, over a long period of time. Gollum is living and breathing but not anything like the Smeagol created in God’s image. Gollum is not what the creator intended.

All life is a pale imitation of the intended life apart from repentance and forgiveness of sins. Subjectively we resist this but our resistance will never change that it is objectively true.