A culture that denies that truth exists and can be known is already dead whether its obituary has been written or not. Cultures are built on truths, even if those truths are false. It is bad enough to be wrong, but so much worse to deny that right and wrong exist. Once upon a time we held these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights. Now everyone gets to decide for themselves what a man is, and the state gets to decide what rights some men have and others do not.
Truth is the foundation of all other things. The word itself is a synonym for the Word, the Lord of all things. The message of the gospel, that which we are commanded to go into all the world and preach, is true. Truth, however, comes to us never as less than abstract propositions but at best, more than mere abstract propositions.
In the church, especially, we can be prone to reducing truth to propositions. While the less theologically astute churches present elaborate displays when gathered for worship, the more theologically astute churches often gather simply to have the smart pastor download the information he gathered into the minds of the congregation. This kind of “download” isn’t in itself a bad thing. Jesus spoke to all who would listen.
This same Jesus, however, didn’t leave us an abstract gospel, a neatly stacked pile of propositions. Neither did He leave us mysterious and elaborate rituals and incantations. Instead He gave us water, bread and wine. He gave us water as the mark of the covenant, a tangible, watchable event that goes beyond mere words. He gave us in turn the sacrament of His Supper, a tangible, watchable, smellable, taste-able event that reminds us of His sacrifice for us, that draws us closer to Him, that draws us closer to one another.
The One who came to save the world, who Himself took on flesh and dwelt among us, the very embodiment of the Word directs our gaze beyond words to things, fellow creatures that He has set apart, making them holy. He is Lord not just of heavenly ideas but of earthly, and earthy realities.
We are indeed to take every thought captive. But He is about the business of bringing all things into subjection, every idea and every power that exalts itself above Him. He speaks truth, and He breaks knees. He reigns in our hearts, and reigns over the sun and the stars, the wind and the rain. He is the sower who plants the seed, the vineyard owner who crushes grapes into wine. He came to bring life, and life abundant, not mere deracinated truths to make sure we’re right. Not less than this, but more.
Our Lord has invaded space and time, recapturing what was His from the beginning. And He is bringing it all under subjection. May He start with us, in remaking us into His image.