In the movie, O Brother, Where Art Thou?, two friends discuss the ethics of theft. The exchange is lighthearted and amusing yet surprisingly enlightening.
Pete: You miserable little snake! You stole from my kin!
Ulysses Everett McGill: Who was fixin’ to betray us.
Pete: You didn’t know that at the time.
Ulysses Everett McGill: So I borrowed it until I did know.
Pete: That don’t make no sense!
Ulysses Everett McGill: Pete, it’s a fool that looks for logic in the chambers of the human heart.
We live in a post-modern world, where truth is relative. What’s true for you may not be true for me. You can have your own truth. In fact, the only truth is – there is no truth. Validation is rooted more in feelings than facts. Of course, no one really believes this. Even those who profess to adhere to this no-truth claim don’t live by it. They can’t. Just try to injure them or offend them. They are sure to point out that you shouldn’t or can’t do…that. I hope you see the failed logic of such thinking.
Examples:
1. Use someone’s biological pronoun instead of the preferred, chosen one.
2. State that gender and biological sex are synonymous.
3. Make the exclusive statement that only women can become pregnant.
These statements, whether declared emphatically or, as in some instances, merely suggested, can trigger progressive, post-moderns into a tantrum. In bursts of outrage, you might be met with alternative language like “birthing person” or “people with the capacity of pregnancy.” You may also be told you have any number of phobias.
But it gets even more bizarre. While speaking about biology and biological facts might be labeled hate speech, apparently speaking up in favor of a federally recognized terrorist organization falls under the protections of “free speech.” Yes, I’m speaking of Hamas and the pro-Palestinian rallies on some of our college campuses. I’m also speaking about much of the same language used by some of our elected officials! I’m not a legal expert, but this seems…treasonous.
Pete was right, “That don’t make no sense.”
Now to be clear, I believe we can be, should be, pro-human (including Palestinians) while simultaneously decrying the actions, the ideologies of terrorists (including Hamas). We are to champion human life, ALL human life because, as Genesis tells us, all humans are created imago dei, in the image of God. At the same time, we denounce evil. So what do we do with evil people?
But now we’ve come full circle. Who’s to say what is evil? What is “right” or “wrong?” The same terrorist groups, condemned by the US and our allies, believe the barbaric atrocities, the inhuman slaughterings of children, are good, right, and honorable. So who is right? A postmodern worldview has to conclude that neither side is right and yet both are right. Perhaps it is right for them in the moment. So what are we to do?
A biblical worldview is helpful here. We begin by recognizing the Bible’s teaching that every person has a predisposition toward evil because all of creation is now under the curse of sin. The end result of sin is death. Sin and death lead to broken lives, despair, and emptiness. People are longing for love, acceptance, worth, and security. God created us to be in perfect unity with him. Sin messed that relationship up, separating us from God. Our hearts are dark. Our minds are corrupt. This is where Ulysses was right, “…it’s a fool that looks for logic in the chambers of the human heart.”
You and I, and everyone else, have broken fellowship with God and can do nothing to resolve that. But, “Praise God!” Jesus DID do something about it. He paid the penalty I owed for the life I lived. He took my sin and gave me his righteousness. He took my broken life and made me whole. He took my despair and game me hope. He took my emptiness and filled me. He took my death and gave me eternal life! He changed my heart, my affections, my worship. I want to do what’s right. It doesn’t mean I have been made perfect, but the perfect One’s blood covers my sin. My heart has been renewed.
While it might sound nice to suggest there is no truth, the truth is, you can’t live that way. There must be truth or the whole universe collapses. There is truth and the truth holds many applications in our world. Out of truth flows justice and justice is established by right and wrong, fair and unfair. Additionally, an objective, moral standard exists. The God of the Bible is the moral standard and the good news about his Son is the only thing that can renew our minds and change our hearts. The gospel is the only truth where someone confused about who they are can find love, acceptance, and security. The gospel is the only power that can stop groups like Hamas. The truth is, the only message that can change a human heart is the message of Jesus Christ, son of the living God.
Ragamuffin Warrior 