Setting Things Straight

Individualism has long been a celebrated theme in our society. At its best, it generates independent thinking and creative pursuits. Strong individualism begs for tolerance in a free society. We often promote a “live and let live” approach. Other areas of our life together, however, call for common agreement. Language, for example, works through word meanings. There is room for play within definitions, but common meaning and usage of words make them work for us. Deciding on my own that the word “dog” actually means “rabbit” is not helpful. Those words are symbols for different animals. While valuing the freedom of the individual, we still seek agreement in some areas, for the sake of our common life.

Another tricky feature of the modern era comes with our applications of relativism. Knowing that none of us have a hotline for possessing absolute truth, we state things as true, relative to our frame of thinking. If I go too far, with relativism I sloppily insist that my truth works for me and your version of the truth will just have to do, relating you to reality as you see it. Such relativism cannot work in all areas. Scientists and financial accountants must stay true to the principles of their fields. Laboratory researchers must test a hypothesis with reliable processes, and record data carefully. Banks must report balances accurately, and arrive at new balances according to the true activities of the accounts. Winging it is not allowed.

The word recorded in the book of the Hebrew Prophet Jeremiah has God asserting a similar demand. The passage below insists that there are true and false ways to prophesy. God is saying, “You prophets can’t just make it up as you go along; you can’t loft dreamy announcements without accountability to me.” They are not to promote any god they want.

Am I a God near by, says the Lord, and not a God far off? Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them? says the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord. I have heard what the prophets have said who prophesy lies in my name, saying, "I have dreamed, I have dreamed!" How long? Will the hearts of the prophets ever turn back-- those who prophesy lies, and who prophesy the deceit of their own heart? They plan to make my people forget my name by their dreams that they tell one another, just as their ancestors forgot my name for Baal. Let the prophet who has a dream tell the dream, but let the one who has my word speak my word faithfully. What has straw in common with wheat? says the Lord. Is not my word like fire, says the Lord, and like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces?  (Jeremiah 23:23-29)

There is fire in the word of God that burns off the worthless and leaves the truth. There is a hammer in the word of God that breaks things down to get to what is of value. This stern word to prophets warns that God is to be represented truly. We are not free to spin what we think is gold on our little spinning wheels, nor to put forward things that are true only relative to our narrow dreams. We are reminded that God is both nearby and far-off, filling the heavens and the earth. We can’t do our own thing as though God is far away, too absent to notice. And let’s not imagine that we have God in our back pocket and know divine things absolutely. Let’s deliver wheat, not straw. There is a difference.