ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
August 14, 2026
In his 1962 commencement address at Yale University, John F. Kennedy offered these words: “The great enemy of the truth is very often not the lie—deliberate, contrived, and dishonest, but the myth, persistent, persuasive, and unrealistic. Belief in myths allows the comfort of opinion without the discomfort of thought.” Almost 65 years have passed since those words were offered, but they remain just as stinging to our current culture that appears to allow baseless opinion to hold equal authority to the well-researched scientific consensus. Well-financed corporate interest or blind ideology can blow thick enough smoke to have many unable to see the truth or the agendas of those who are blowing the smoke. The ancient words of the Psalmist (Psalm 101) challenge us to “walk with integrity of heart” and to be cautious not to set before our “eyes anything that is worthless.” To be ethical and virtuous people, we must do two things: First, look honestly within ourselves to discover our own skewed motives created by fear or insecurity. Such heightened emotions will have us abandoning truth at the first sign of something that confirms our fears or insecurities. Second, we need to research and challenge ideas that we read and hear. And for us as Christians, this is especially important if we desire to maintain any moral authority. A lot of so-called faithful people ‘Christianize’ their self-serving schemes in the hope that no one actually does any research. I’m embarrassed by Christian articles or social media videos that reference research that is either unexplored opinion or outright lies. Dan McClellan is really good at challenging the nonsense in his Data over Dogma podcast. As those who seek to follow Jesus, we must be the first to put newfound truth above some narrow ideology, dogma, or doctrine. We should willingly engage it with a wise, open-minded, and faithful heart. And in doing so, we often find the Good News coming alive in a way that we never would have previously imagined.
You are magnificent, O God, and we give you thanks as you continue to stretch our thinking… yet doing so within the freedom provided by your grace. Amen.
