First, the conversation between Pilate and Jesus in the book of John has always been a favorite passage of Bill's. Pilate is really trying to figure out who Jesus is...a King...a Jewish King??? Jesus tells Pilate, "In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." Then Pilate asks, "What is truth?" Que est veritas? Philosophers such as Plato & Socrates had long been trying to answer this question. In fact, Aristotle, in 350 B.C., tried to define truth as "to say of what is that it is not, or of what is not that it is, is false, while to say of what is that it is, and of what is not that is not, is true" Clear as mud? So here we have Jesus telling us what the standard for truth is...Him!
Secondly, we feel that truth is essential to the work we will be doing in Tanzania. It was amazing to take each problem we saw in Africa and realize that at the root of each problem were lies. For example, lies about HIV, lies the witchcraft doctors tell, curses, etc. Of course the only way to fight these lies is with truth. By doing this, we will not only be setting them free from their earthly bondage to lies, but eternal freedom through salvation. As Jesus said in John 14:6, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."
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