Hey friends, hope you’re doing well. The response to episode 30 “Coming out of the theological closet” has been extraordinary. I’ve actually already recorded a follow-up episode to that, specifically about our LGBT brothers and sisters, and clarifying some elements from Episode 30—but I have a meeting coming up next week with our elders about this topic, and I want to honor them and their pace. We’ve spent a lot of time talking about unity, and the primacy of it, which of course doesn’t mean to never speak up, but to do so in a way that brings as many people as possible along for the ride… not jerking the wheel and confusing people. SO > That episode will come out next week, and we’ll continue our conversation on LGBT inclusion in the church.    For today, I want to just share a word of encouragement. I’ve been learning a lot about leaders that have shared unpopular critiques to established cultures, and it’s been really, really inspiring. William Wilberforce speaking out against the European Slave trade, Abraham Lincoln and his leadership during the most divided time in our country’s history… All the way up to Lecrae, a hip-hop artist today that is speaking out against systemic racism, especially within the Evangelical church. And through it all… You could call it the “through-line”—has been this theme of speaking truth to power.    Speaking truth, of course, is what everyone *thinks* they’re doing. Most people believe truth is on their side. Our president, beloved Donny, has just crossed his 10,000th lie in office. All of them documented by the media, which he of course says is lying… So we have to begin the conversation with acknowledging that all of our understandings of “truth” — objective truth — is severely flawed. All of it is influenced by culture, by opinions, by upbringing, by authority figures telling is what truth was growing up, by books or documents, Bibles or Constitutions, prophets and pastors, all claiming to be true, of course.    A large swath of American Evangelicals look to the Bible for truth, which is good, because the Bible is full of a lot of truth, but even within that there are differences of interpretation, divisions amongst denominations… the latest figures put the number of Christian denominations around 33,000 worldwide. That’s 33,000 different ways people have interpreted Jesus’ words, the creeds and beliefs we ascribe to, and the different ways the church should practice in the world. Some scholars believe that number is inflated, but even if it’s inflated by a multiple of 2 or 3, it’s still shocking.    How does one church have so many different ways of doing things?    And guess what? Everyone believes they’re right. Everyone believes they’ve found the truth.    Even within the Catholic church, under the leadership of 1 pope, there are 242 different catholic denominations.    I share all of this because we need a healthy dose of humility with how we approach truth — as if it’s some truly objective thing that we can arrive at. I’m not sure that’s true… And I recognize the irony in even saying that.    Consider Peter, for a moment... one of Jesus’ right-hand men. Raised Jewish, followed his Jewish rabbi Jesus, and was ready to establish his church for Jewish people. Ok? Not you and me. Just them. A very small percentage of the earth’s population. Around 600,000 people at the time. About 1/10 of a percent of the earth’s population as God’s chosen people and everyone else is out. Jesus had said a lot about “ALL” … but apparently that didn’t catch on, and the early church was still just for Jews. Then Acts 10 happens, where Peter goes up to a rooftop to pray while someone is making him lunch. read Acts 10:9-36   Ok, this is not a small deal. For all of history, God’s people believed they were the chosen people. That was their truth. A very small group of Jews entrusted with a very big message. And then, all of a sudden, on a random afternoon, during a single moment of prayer, God changed Peter’s heart. And the rest of history. Peter fought it at first, thinking maybe he was just hungry or not hearing God correctly, but when the Spirit of God persisted, he listened. And immediately he saw the fruit of it. Immediately he’s invited somewhere that he would’ve never previously gone, because of his religious upbringing and following God’s law, of course… And then God changes Peter’s mind. And all of history changed as a result of that one moment of prayer.    Peter was a very normal, very human human. And he was faced with an opportunity to keep something small and exclusive, or to listen to the Spirit and take an unpopular stance amongst his Jewish community, to bring the Gospel to Gentiles. And if you’re not one of the 13 million direct-line Jews on earth today, again, only a fraction of a percentage of the earth’s population, you’re a direct beneficiary of Peter following that unpopular direction.    Here’s what I want to share about all of this… We live in the age of the opinion. Everyone has a social media platform, some with enormous followings and influence, some of us with small followings and influence, but we all have a say. And we all say… don’t we? Everything we interact with gets a Yelp review or Facebook post or Instagram story sharing how good or bad or fun or terrible something is… It’s not the age of information anymore, it’s the age of the opinion.    So how then do we discern what is true? How do we discern what God might be saying to us? And what God might be wanting to do through us? Or a new dream you have for a business that’s never been done before and you’re wondering if you’re crazy or if you’re a genius and when you share it with people they don’t get it, but some of them do… And at worst, it all just leads to inaction. Our insecurity in discerning what is true paralyzes us, and we stay where we are, only sharing the Gospel with Jews… keeping the dream small and exclusive, a mere fraction of what could be.    This morning I saw a quote on Facebook that my aunt shared… Shout out to my wonderful aunt Laurie… she’s an educator in Portland Maine, and she shared this quote from Rumi, 13th century Persian poet, theologian, Sufi mystic, and it was this: “Before you speak, let your words pass through three gates: Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?”    Is it true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?   In Peter’s story, we see him wrestling with whether it was true or not. He saw a vision, heard a voice calling him to do something that God had ALWAYS forbidden, and he says, “No.” Then the vision repeats 3 times. Then he’s left perplexed. Was that true? Was it not true? Then immediately he’s presented with an opportunity to spend time with Gentiles in a Gentile home eating non-kosher Gentile food. All of which God had ALWAYS forbidden. Then read the rest of Acts 10… v. 34 Peter says, “I see very clearly that God shows no favoritism. In every nation he accepts those who fear him and do what is right. This is the message of Good News for the people of Israel (exclusive language) — that there is peace with God through Jesus Christ, who is Lord of ALL… (inclusive, global, universal)…    While Peter was still wrestling with whether or not it was true, he was presented with a situation that proved to him that it was NECESSARY. His experience, his rationality, his educated opinion in his specific culture and context, led him to believe that God wanted him to stray from the established Jewish laws and commandments around eating Kosher and not dining with Gentiles… and it changed history. Other Jews at the time undoubtedly called Peter a heretic.    How could this be true? The Jewish Scriptures were clear. They had no other holy writings to go by…    Peter realized that this word from God during a time of prayer was true by its necessity… The necessity to include and genuinely have the Good News be Good News for all…    So, brothers and sisters, what is truth? How do we know it? And when do we speak up—especially when it’s going directly against the grain of the establishment?    Whether it’s a religious establishment, like it was for Peter, or it’s a political establishment, or a educational establishment, or your workplace and the internal culture that’s become almost like a Law that everyone is living by…    When do you finally say something? When these three things align: Truth, necessity and kindness are in alignment… When that idea you’ve been wrestling with or that Word from God you’ve been perplexed by passes through those 3 gates: truth, necessity and kindness. (And you can replace that last word with whichever virtue you’d like: Compassion, empathy, love, kindness…) It just needs to be anchored in a deep, ethical, morally sound bedrock.    It doesn’t mean you can’t say difficult things… In fact, most of these types of truths are very difficult. Think back to the truths that we’ve been taught by leaders like William Wilberforce, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King Jr… All of them ethical, but speaking truth to power, because of its necessity.     Psalm 15: 1 Who may worship in your sanctuary, Lord?     Who may enter your presence on your holy hill? 2 Those who lead blameless lives and do what is right,     speaking the truth from sincere hearts. 3 Those who refuse to gossip     or harm their neighbors     or speak evil of their friends. 4 Those who despise flagrant sinners,     and honor the faithful followers of the Lord,     and keep their promises even when it hurts. 5 Those who lend money without charging interest,     and who cannot be bribed to lie about the innocent. Such people will stand firm forever.   If you’re burdened by something, and you’ve been patient, and you’ve shared it with people you love and they affirm that truth, and your experiences affirm that truth, and you recognize the necessity of it, and you’re able to do it surrounded by kindness and compassion and love… I say go for it.    Say something.    I love you guys, make it a good day.