Inconvenienced for Truth

The hard questions in life often demand answers when difficult circumstances stand bleeding and broken before us. It is then that we truly yearn for truth. Frustrated, fearful, and even irritated, we ask, “What is truth?”

The normalcy of life has a way of coming to a screeching halt. A debilitating illness, the loss of a job, a painful divorce, or the tragic death of a loved one—when the rhythm of life is disrupted, self-driven philosophies fail to provide adequate answers. While comfort and routine regularly block our ears to the truth, times of brokenness expose our hearts. In the stillness of grief or worry, we are forced to ponder life, God, and eternity. We wonder who we can trust.

Over two thousand years ago, Jesus Christ came to earth to proclaim that he is the way, the truth, and the life—the only hope for eternity. And the world hated him for it.

When the living Christ stood battered and bleeding before Pontius Pilate, he arrived at a most inconvenient time. Pilate’s dilemma was not unlike our own today. He desired peace, comfort, and safety. The claims of Christ and the accusations of the crowds threatened his authority and his ability to control his life. The last thing Pilate wanted was to confront the Truth, even when it stood right in front of him.

Frustrated and irritated, Pilate asked, “What is truth?” But his question was rhetorical; he didn’t really want the answer. Politically, culturally, and judicially, caving to the crowds was the easier path. He cowardly washed his hands of the Truth because the cost of embracing it was simply too high. He was inconvenienced.

As Christians, we can easily fall into a similar trap—not in rejecting the Truth, but in our reluctance to share it. When faced with the opportunity to speak up, we often resort to excuses.

Do we refrain from speaking the truth to keep the peace? Do we withhold it out of expediency? Do we wash our hands of the opportunities God gives us to share the gospel with a soul parched for Living Water? All too often, we keep the Truth hidden, afraid to introduce his presence to our friends, neighbors, or communities because it might disrupt our routine.

Building bridges of trust and receiving broken, battered souls takes time. It requires us to step out of our comfort zones and courageously proclaim the gospel message. In a busy world full of distractions, stepping into someone else’s mess is rarely easy.

Perhaps Christ is calling us today to be inconvenienced.