I swear...

I’m beginning to get Christmassy! Yesterday I wrote my message for the Christmas newsletter. Today, I’m working on our Christmas services.

I know, we’re still in November…but before we know it Christmas will be here!

The subject of truth has been dominating the news a lot lately. Or, maybe more accurately, the issue of who we can trust.

BoJo, Corbyn, and Swinson all want us to trust them with the running of our country.

Prince Andrew just appeared on TV asking us to trust his account of events from almost 20 years ago.

And then in the USA, we have impeachment proceedings attempting to get to the bottom of what may or may not have happened.

Who to trust? What to trust? Who’s telling the truth? These are important questions.

And then this morning I was reading in 1 John 1:1-4 (why not grab a bible and have a quick read).

You almost get the impression that the apostle John could be appearing at a legal hearing and is swearing to tell the truth….

That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched – this we proclaim concerning the Word of life.

Hear what he’s saying?

You can trust me! I’m telling you the truth. I’m telling you only what I have seen with my eyes, heard with my ears, and touched with my hands. I swear.

That’s the gist.

And it’s worth reminding ourselves that a lot of what we have in the New Testament is reliable, first-hand, eye-witness testimony. Just because it was written a long time ago shouldn’t mean we can’t trust it. When someone makes a claim to share the truth, surely we have a duty to investigate?

Particularly, when what’s at stake is so huge. For see what John goes on to write about this One he claims to speak the truth about.

He calls Jesus the Word of life. The Eternal life.

He says that this Word of life enables us to have fellowship with the Father. Relationship. Reconciliation.

Truth is truth whatever it concerns. But some truth is more weighty than others.

The truth about Jesus…the truth about Christmas…has eternal consequences.