Belief vs. Truth
You can believe a lot of things. You can believe in the Easter Bunny. You can believe Elvis is still alive. You can believe a lot of things, but believing something does not mean it is true.
With the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, it is why the apostles note the number of people who witnessed both the death and resurrection of Christ. Paul wrote into a skeptical age of cynics. He documented the people Christ appeared to, fully alive, after the resurrection. He notes that Christians would be fools to preach a risen Lord if it really did not happen. He does not accept it by faith but provides evidence and names that you can believe him and believe in the resurrection because it actually happened and is true.
Ultimately, Paul was willing to die because he knew it was true. So too with all the other apostles except John, who died a natural death still proclaiming the gospel.
I’ve been thinking about this because I think the media coverage of people with COVID is deeply condescending and unhelpful. But I do think it is remarkable the number of people who had to get COVID to realize they should have gotten vaccinated.
They had a belief, but it was not true. They believed COVID was no big deal or the vaccines did not really work. Now they know and sadly some will or have already died because they didn’t realize they believed a lie until it was too late.
Mistruths and lies are running rampant in our society. Many of you are still convinced the election was stolen because you’ve chosen to trust sources who are dishonest or engaged in sleight of hand. They’ve convinced you any flaw or an accumulation of flaws in an election is proof it was stolen. No election is perfect. They’re run by mostly retirees. But an imperfect election with some errors is not a stolen election. And some of the errors are not really errors. They are just interpreted as such by hucksters, charlatans, frauds, and malicious malcontents.
Then there are the viral deniers. Over twenty percent of Americans now know someone who has lost their life to COVID — actually to COVID, not shot in the head, put tested positive for COVID so therefore dead of COVID. The hucksters have now shifted the goalposts to cast doubt on the vaccine, which they claim is now somehow worse than a virus.
“But it has a 99% survival rate,” is the common chant, that unknowingly takes into account hospitals being able to treat the people when the spread can be handled. And pay no attention to the senior citizens who died. And also, when did every life stop being precious?
Concurrently, however, are the medical charlatans who insist our kids in school must be in masks. “Trust the science,” they scream as they demand we wear masks alone outside and our kids keep snot against their faces all day in school. Then there are those who made a really big deal about people previously infected having immunity, but suddenly accusing these people of being vaccine deniers when the whole reason they didn’t get the vaccine is that they were told they did not have to get it.
It is no wonder so many people have no idea who to believe and engage in their own research on YouTube while taking a dump in the office bathroom during break.
But the truth still matters. You can believe the election was stolen. You can believe COVID is no big deal. You can believe the vaccine is worse than the virus. You can believe in the Easter Bunny. But your belief does not make it true.
And if you believe those things and are a Christian, well, at least God is sovereign and I’m a Calvinist because otherwise, I think someone screaming a bunch of lies and then wanting to share the gospel would give a curious unbeliever pause.
“The election was stolen. The virus is a scam. Now let me tell you about my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,” isn’t good witnessing. Truth still matters. In fact, truth matters most.
I’m taking issue with one point in your Belief Vs Truth commentary today. I’m
sure you didn’t mean to imply that elections are imperfect because they are run mostly by retirees. That’s a little unfair don’t you think? Many other people of varying ages work at the polls, some competent, some not. The process can be flawed and the technology can be compromised. In other words, don’t connect the imperfection to retirees working there. It’s just another thing folks use to make “seniors” irrelevant in these times I’m in that group and I don’t appreciate it. I’m also smart, coherent, capable, physically stronger than most people half my age and able to manage a staff of workers. Plus I can follow the logic of your essays which occasionally meander wildly to the point. Retirees are not all dottering nincompoops. Don’t pile on.
All the things in a single post. Some of my friends don't understand why I chose to get vaccinated. Others don't understand why I am opposed to mandates. Skeptics are running rampant, and it's REALLY hard to find accurate information. But, as already noted, no vaccine is without risk and no vaccine prevents ALL transmission of disease. Even smallpox, once thought eradicated, has returned.
Similarly, there are risks to NOT being vaccinated. Most people who contract the virus will be miserable for a few days and then recover. Other people will suffer long term. Still others will die from the virus or the virus will hasten their deaths from something else. My dad passed away two weeks ago. He had congestive heart failure and really didn't have much time left, but he was exposed to Covid (long story not worth telling) and died within a week of testing positive. If he didn't have heart failure already, he probably would have survived the virus. But his death certificate will list Covid as the final cause.
All that to say, with everything there is risk and reward. Vaccines have risks. Viruses have risks. And eventually, we all die. It is the TRUTH that ultimately matters. Without Jesus, there is no reward. With Jesus, there is no risk; He took the risk and the consequences on our behalf. I will live in the Truth and I will die knowing that my eternity is secured. That's something to rejoice about.