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Faith Ministry Stories

Who owns the truth?

Posted by Pastor John Klawiter on

In the depths of another cold Minnesota winter, a topic of curiosity emerged from our Bible studies at Faith Lutheran.

Who wrote the Bible and who decided what went into it?

I offered to lead a book study of “Who wrote the Bible?” by biblical scholar of Jewish studies, Richard Elliott Friedman. This book explained when each of the sources of the Old Testament were written. 

I thought a few people might be interested, but when 20 people showed up (some online), I realized how fascinating an origin story can be.

The group learned about the different sources that told the stories of their people and their relationship to God. Ultimately, due to the splitting of the kingdom after King Solomon, there were two main threads of the story—both worshiping the same God but lifting up different heroes to deliver them.

Then, everyone was sent into exile during the Babylonian captivity. Upon reunification, the stories came back together. Decisions needed to be made. Whose version of God would be the definitive truth for generations to come to read?

Ultimately, a redactor kept both. He sewed both stories together and added details when necessary to make it fit. Both stories, while at odds with each other, were the divinely inspired truth to the group of people that lived that experience.

In the book study, we had a fascinating discussion about truth. What is truth? Who owns the truth?

After two years of Covid 19 being part of our shared experience, I wonder what our story will be. What will the generations that come behind us read about this period of history? Who owns the truth to what we just went through?

In my writing for the Forest Lake Times, I’ve addressed quarantine, masking, vaccines, and events to support community while in the pandemic. I’ve tried to write from a perspective of hope in the midst of uncertainty. Where has God been in all of this? My hunch is that each congregation in our community has talked about this and had varying responses to that question.

If we collected all the stories of God and the pandemic from our community, whose story would be the truth?

In Forest Lake, those stories have included hardship. There are stories of death and illness. We have seen businesses suffer and close. Our schools have faced huge challenges. Mental health needs have skyrocketed. Relationships have fractured.

In a time of chaos, the stress has mounted, and the impact of small decisions have been magnified.

But our community also has stories of blessing. Unique pivots to host weddings—adapting to gathering requirements, often with short notice. Funerals outside or Livestreamed. Baptisms in outdoor fountains. We’ve adapted and embraced that, even in the chaos, life moves forward.

Wouldn’t all of these threads be part of the story? The good and the bad.

More things will go back to “normal,” but I also believe we enter a new normal. We are fundamentally changed and have new ways to be community. 

It’s being part of a community—as family, small groups, online gatherings, churches, colleagues, classes—where the new stories will take place. Isn’t that the truth?  

Pastor John writes a monthly column for the Forest Lake Times. A similar version to this article was published on February 24, 2022