Temperature of the Truth

It’s cold outside. If you are like me, you can feel the chill even indoors, warmed by heated space. It just feels cold on the other side of the walls – like we have thermometric antennae transmitting temperature to our bloodstream. Sometimes when we near a window that is cold to the touch we can feel a waft of frigid air.

There is a Weather Channel option on my computer that depicts the outdoor temperature. Just next to the wi-fi strength signal on the lower tool bar, a Fahrenheit digit affirms that what I am feeling is not just an illusion – it is reality. I’m not just feeling things. It really is cold.

It’s funny how we need a thermometer to legitimize what we are experiencing.
Sometimes our bodies aren’t accurate, though, and we need a standard. There are other times when the same temp can be cold to some and hot to others.
Just try setting a thermostat for a room of more than a few people. No matter what the temperature reads, some are uncomfortable.

Thermometers are fairly oblivious to our concerns. They do not read “comfortable”, or assure Goldilocks’ ascription of “just right.” Rather, a thermometer states fact: “It’s 39 degrees outside – deal with it.” It simply tells truth. Thermostats, on the other hand, aren’t primarily for reading the temperature, but for adjusting it. (And thank goodness for that
technology!)
A temptation in our homes is to walk in a room and adjust the thermostat to our comfort. Is it possible this convenience creeps into other aspects of life? Are we so used to our personal settings (power seats, tilt steering, lots of channels) that we arrange truth to our preferences, too? We don’t like the Sermon on the Mount so we adjust it a few degrees to our liking…

One of the things Scripture does for the church is it tells truth. It is often uncomfortable. There are times when we do not wish to weather the storms of reality. The Bible states it like it is. Other times we’re not sure if our feelings are legitimate until the Standard affirms what is. The function of Scripture in our lives is to tell the truth. This is what is.

So, the stories – even when they are ugly and expose the human inclination to perversion – are accurate. And the hope, expressed in humanity’s restoration to God in Christ, is sure. And the reality expressed in this God/man relationship is trustworthy. Scripture is sure. It is not a tool for us to adjust the atmosphere to our comfort. It is more like a thermometer than a thermostat. The adjustments are made inside us, not outside.