In early December, the Board of World Mission staff gathered for a working retreat in Black Oak Lodge at Mt. Morris Camp in Wisconsin. The snowflakes were falling, the fire was crackling in the fireplace and the staff were gathered in comfy chairs under quilts on day two of our meetings. Our opening task for the day was to choose the BWM watchword for the coming year. To our surprise, the day that was randomly chosen was August 13th, a Moravian High Holy Day. The text for that day is John 3:21 and it comes to us from Jesus’ midnight conversation with the inquisitive and troubled Pharisee, Nicodemus, who was desperately trying to understand the truth about Jesus’ identity.
Truth, aletheia (in the Greek), is debated and explored in the Gospel of John. Most famously Jesus claims to be the truth, as well as the way and the life (John 14:6). In his face to face meeting with Pilate, the Roman Governor of Judea, Jesus states that his reason for being born is to testify to the truth. Pilate sputters out a frustrated response: What is truth??? (John 18:37-38)
We join in line with Pilate and Nicodemus, wanting to know the truth. In John 3:21 we get a hint: “Those who do what is true (aletheia) come to the light so that it may be clearly seen that their deeds have been done in God.”
In the BWM Advent Calendar this past December, we were asked daily: When have we seen you a stranger, or sick, or hungry or thirsty? And fed you, cared for you, and welcomed you? Enacting compassion and love for humanity is the truth that Jesus lived and taught. When the BWM, the church and y’all come to the light this Epiphany season, doing deeds of care and compassion in God, then we have found the TRUTH (and the way and the life).