Devotion Thirty Three
Sunday April 3, 2022
“The only stories we can tell truthfully are our own.” This was the lead sentence in a devotional I read recently. And I have been thinking about it.
I am thinking about our stories. Are they true? They may seem true at the moment. They may seem to have a different truth as time goes on and we review them. I think stories evolve and reveal new truths to us as life unfolds and we learn new things and see things in new ways.
I also think that sometimes to know the truth of our own stories, we need to share them and hear the responses of others. Maybe people who know us. Maybe people who don’t know us. These responses can help us to see the truths in our stories that maybe we didn’t notice before.
Sharing stories helps them to reveal more truth. I am not sure I can tell my own stories truthfully without this kind of help from others. I need others to help me find the truth in my stories. Do you?
I think that truth emerges in community. Maybe it is like having a scientific article or academic publication peer-reviewed to validate the findings and conclusions. We share our stories to have them validated and reinforced and expanded and deepened and even corrected by others.
The perspectives of others can be important in helping us to see more of the truth of our lives. We need each other for this. And this is one of the things that happens in our relationships in the church. We get to know each other. We share stories. We help each other to discover and discern new truths in our stories. And this is done in safe space that is loving and compassionate. More of the wildness of mercy blessing us in unexpected ways that are life-giving.
Prayer
We give thanks that we are gathered around the stories of scripture and all that they show us about life and the reality of God. May our faith help us to see the truths of our own stories more clearly. And may we shed light for one another as we seek these truths. May we always remember that the truth will set us free! Amen.
Lakewood United Church of Christ 