What is Truth?

What is Truth?

So many questions on the minds of people around the world today... big questions, deep questions, hard questions, unanswerable questions. Where do we look for answers? Now that's a GOOD question. Where DO we look for answers? It is fair enough to want answers... to need answers.

Many times a question is answered with another question. This is often the case in the Bible, the Gospel, the Living Word of God. Reading in the Book of John we find an amazing story where Jesus is in the middle of a religious trial as well as a civil trial because of his claim to be the Jewish Messiah, the Jewish King. John chapter 18 is all about the betrayal and arrest of Jesus. Talk about QUESTIONS! Standing trial is all about questions. 

Pontius Pilate, the Roman governor at this time, asked Jesus the DECISIVE question, (John 18:33) "Are you the King of the Jews?"  Jesus gives and acknowledgement and continues to say, (John 18:36-38) "My Kingdom is not of this world... For this purpose I was born - to bear witness to the truth." 

I am reading a book titled, "Beauty Will Save the World" by Brian Zahnd that was recommended by a friend. The author is writing how Pilate, in his confrontation with Jesus, asks the cynical question, "What is truth?" 

Continue on in the Gospel of John, (ch 19:10) "Do you not know that I have power... to crucify you?" And there it is! In this moment the truth comes out - Pilate had answered his own question. For Pilate, truth is power; power enforced by violence. Pilate had the power to enforce his truth by condemning Jesus to death on a cross. To Pilate, violence is truth, violence is reality. 

Brian Zahnd describes Pilate's paradigm of truth like this, "In the end it is the truth of power enforced by violence that is the ultimate truth of the principalities and powers... Jesus came into the world to give the world a new truth, a new gospel - the gospel truth that God is love. Jesus and Pilate represent two different truths, two different gospels, two different ways of organizing the world... Ultimate Truth is not power enforced through violence, but love expressed through forgiveness."

"From the day that Cain killed Abel, ultimate reality seemed to be that the world was organized around the principle that those who possess the power of violence run the world. This has been the story of world history... Christ came to give the world a new organizing principle... a principle that would be organized around love and forgiveness."

SO... Yes! there is much unsettling news around the world. Amidst all the trouble, what shall we cling to? What do we know? WHAT IS TRUTH? We must cling to the truth of what we know... and that is

Jesus came, Jesus died, Jesus arose, Jesus ascended, and... Jesus is coming back! For You!             

Remember, we may be in this world BUT we are not OF this world. 

 

Until Jesus' return, the world will continue to see much of this truth of power rather than the truth of love expressed through forgiveness. Currently that truth of power we see in Haiti is expressed through a declared transportation strike. This is a version of the situation that we are hearing here... Gas tankers sitting in the port are not transporting gas throughout the country because the gas truck drivers are striking because of the dangers that lurk in the city of Port au Prince. SO... cause and effect... supply and demand... you can guess what happens... gas prices have spiked! overnight! from 400 gdes per gallon to 1500 gdes per gallon in some areas. That would be the equivalent of approximately $4 increased to $15. Along with that come increased prices across the board...rice, beans, oil... anything that is transported. 

The balance is upset. This doesn't take an economist to see how this will affect families in an already poverty stricken nation. So the population is in an uproar. It is looking like there will be another "Peyi Lok" (Locked Country) where any road leading to any where will be made impassable. This is in demonstration so that the people of the country can have their voice heard... which is to say...           

"We just can't live like this!" 

This common site, simply transporting goods and people from one place to another, will not be seen for the next few days.

Photo by Ben Croghan

 For a time, Many Hands motorcycles may not be able to go zone by zone sharing the Good News of the Gospel of love and forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

Other forms of transportation won't have freedom to pass either!

Photo by Ben Croghan

Yesterday, Many Hands Depot Manager Yves Garard, (pictured below), went about his job of stocking the depot on Many Hands campus with non-perishable items needed for the functioning of Many Hands First Thousand Days Program. He traveled by Three-wheeled motorcycle to Cerca Cavajal in the morning and by motorcycle to Hinche in the afternoon.  

He described his take on the day... he came upon several road blocks but was able to pass after paying the 'local gang' 250 gourdes (approx. $2.50 US). Yves says these are just young men in every small community that simply take advantage of the opportunity when everything is upset already. And the reason being, they are young guys with no job, have no resources to take responsibility for themselves. So they see this little extortion exercise as a way to make a few gourdes. 

Yves point of view is if there were jobs, people would have work and would take responsibility to carry it out and there would be much less of this nonsense that goes on.

Evenie, pictured above, and Beatris, pictured below, had to cross a road block to get to work on Many Hands campus yesterday. There was no room for vehicles of any kind to get through. But pedestrians could pass by ducking under a length of iron that had been welded to the bridge. After they arrived to work, they laughed as they demonstrated their "ducking exercise"! 

Evenie remarks that "only when Jesus returns" will we see the end of the day by day suffering here. 

Beatris says, "people will just have to walk!" Then continues in her dry humor, "When they get tired of walking, they can run! When they get tired of running, stop and take a break and start walking again." 

If you can see into each 'solution' as shared by Evenie and Beatris, you can begin to grasp the resolve, the surrender, most Haitian people have. This is LIFE. Set your mind to get through and rejoice that Jesus is coming back!

Photo by Ben Croghan

In my opinion, rainbows are seen in abundance here. I think there is a reason. Haitian people benefit from frequent reassurance that God is still here with them; he will never leave them. We all need the confidence this gives to handle each day with courage and joy, standing on the TRUTH of the power of love expressed through forgiveness. 

This is the Ultimate Truth!

Blessed!

Blessed! That is how we feel after spending a meaningful time with our family the past couple of weeks. We also now feel blessed that we are packed and ready to return to Haiti. 

Haiti is in the news....sorry to say that's kinda normal. 

We are also blessed to live where we do in Haiti. We will arrive on the Missionary Flights International DC3 plane, landing on a grass airstrip less than one mile from the Many Hands Campus. We will be greeted by many trusted Haitian staff members who are always looking out for our team. The Pignon area where we live is rural and quiet and not an enticing environment for the gangs that seem to think they rule Port au Prince. We will be cautious and stay aware of what is happening in our area.

We understand Haiti seems like a high risk. We as sinful beings on this earth can find hope and strength in the pleading found in Psalm 80, It reads, "Stir up your might and come to save us! Restore us, O God; let your face shine, that we may be saved!" (verses 2b-3)

These words of scripture can demonstrate a proclamation of faith as well as an active prayer to be restored. Repeated in verse 7, "Restore us, O God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved!" Verses 17 to 19 continue, "But let your hand be on the man of your right hand, the son of man whom you have made strong for yourself! Then we shall not turn back from you; give us life, and we will call upon your name! Restore us, O Lord God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved!" 

We stay vigilant and hope-filled for the intended end of the things of God. Your prayers are coveted as always, to pray for God to restore peace and order.

Above, Jonathan and Anna with daughter Lila in Holland, MI. Below, Jennifer and John with Oliver and Ivy in Spencer, IA.

Grandma and Grandad with Liam in Cedar Rapids with Brittany and Michael below.

The blessing of many beautiful family moments along with many beautiful fall days will be remembered.

What a thrill it will be to return and see the progress that has been made since the end of September! The Maliarette First Thousand Days Center is getting a new entrance. The set up with the former entrance gate did not provide much needed shade. 

This roof will be covered with thatch to provide that missing shade!

Below is a gazebo under construction for the NEW First Thousand Days Center to open in January 2022 in the community of Jean Boule.

The Jean Boule Equipping Center is shown in the background. We are already ready with a kitchen and latrine. The Jean Boule Center is also getting an entrance gate of the same design to provide shade.

As Many Hands is moving into this next zone we are hosting a series of Community Conversations to have a time to share some topics with the community members as well as hear from the community members about what specific challenges they face so that we can get to know each other and work together. Pastor Lumanes, front left, is opening the dialog at this event. 

Please come together in faith with this plea, "Dear Lord, give us life, and we will call upon your name! Restore us, O Lord God of hosts! Let your face shine, that we may be saved! Amen."

This is a time as urgent as any in the history of the world that God's people can be a shining light for Jesus. Allow the Light of Jesus to shine through you in whatever you do.