…for in truth the LORD sent me to you to speak all these words in your ears.
Reading through Jeremiah, it’s easy to get confused about who’s the true prophet, and who isn’t. Since we’re reading in the book of Jeremiah, and not the book of Hananiah or Uriah, I think Jeremiah is the one. But all of the prophets in this book are claiming to speak the word of God. How did the scripture compilers know which prophet was real, when they all prophesied in the name of the Lord, and all had differing prophesies? Maybe there’s an answer to that question, and maybe it would take a long time to research. Or maybe there isn’t an answer. For me, the more relevant question is how do we know today?
In today’s crowded and polarized Christian field, there are far too many prophets each saying they’re speaking God’s word, that they’re the true prophet, and the true direction. If you follow that leader, we’re on the right path. If you follow anyone else, woe to you. And then the next leader says the same thing. If you follow me or my beliefs, you’re on the right path. Anyone else, and woe to you.
I’ve heard this related to many things about how we worship: the Pope and eucharist in the Roman Catholic tradition, I’ve heard it related to what day we consider the sabbath, whether icons are idols, whether infants should be baptized, and whether full immersion baptism is the only one that counts. That’s only considering the issues that most would consider ‘insider baseball.’. You also hear it related to nearly every social issue – pro-life, pro-capital punishment, black lives matter, environmental care, doctrine of discovery, even eating meat. God has told me that my perspective or outlook is True, and to do anything else, well, woe to you.
And all of these differing prophecies are only related to Christianity. Consider the other world religions which also claim to be God’s Truth, and I’m really flummoxed. To be clear, I’m not denying or discrediting anyone’s belief that they’re way is the True way. I’ve no idea, any more than I would have no idea in Jeremiah’s time which voice was True.
The challenge, as I see it, is that all of these Christian voices all are pointing to the same sources, the same Scripture. I don’t understand how any one perspective could be deemed the True way, when they’re all inspired by the same source I use. What that tells me is that there are many truths, and many ways.
I think I need to rest in not knowing, and in hoping that there are many paths. As a Christian, I hope that what really matters is following Jesus, in loving God and loving my neighbor. The rest of the voices claiming to be the only way? I can let them prophecy and claim they’re the Truth. Whether it’s the way I worship, what I believe about sacraments or the sabbath, or pro-life, or race issues, I deeply hope that I’m not following someone who ends up being like Hananiah. And I trust that as long as I keep my eyes focused on Jesus’ love, the rest sounds like clanging gongs.
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