Truth Seekers

Welcome to today's edition of Our Daily Bread. I'm Sheridan Voisey and I've titled today's reading Truth Seekers. A woman once told me about a disagreement that was tearing her church apart. What's the disagreement about? I asked.

Whether the earth is flat, she said. A few months later, news broke of a Christian man who'd burst into a restaurant, armed, to rescue children supposedly being abused in its back room. There was no back room, and the man was arrested. In both cases, the people involved were acting on conspiracy theories they'd read on the internet. Believers in Jesus are called to be good citizens, and good citizens don't spread misinformation. In Luke's day, numerous stories circulated about Jesus.

Some of them were inaccurate. Instead of passing on everything he heard, Luke essentially became an investigative journalist, talking to eyewitnesses, researching everything from the beginning, and writing his findings into a gospel that contains names, quotes, and historical facts based on people with first-hand knowledge, not unverified claims. We can do the same. Since false information can split churches and put lives at risk, checking facts is an act of loving our neighbour. When a sensational story comes our way, we can verify its claims with qualified, accountable experts being truth seekers, not error spreaders. Such an act brings credibility to the gospel. After all, we worship the one who is full of truth. Today's scripture reading is from Luke chapter 1, verses 1 to 4. Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

Let's pray together. Lord, it seems like every week some new claim comes through our inboxes and social media feeds, claiming secret knowledge over something in the news. Oh Holy Spirit, would you guide us into all truth? Would you give us insight so we can spot falsehood?

Would you give us restraint so we don't pass these kinds of things on? Lord, would you make us truth seekers, not error spreaders? We ask this for Jesus' sake, for the strength of your church, for the credibility of the gospel, and for the well-being of the world. In Jesus' name, Amen. Thanks for listening today. I'm Sheridan Voisey and today's encouragement was brought to you by Our Daily Bread Ministries.