From the standpoint of mid-January, when I am writing, world events tumble over each other so fast that I get the feeling that anything I write will seem rather out of date by the time it appears online.

An ongoing issue is the projection of the opinions of the powerful, turbocharged by social media and the actual truth lived by many ordinary people. This is nothing new; the imaginative and sometimes puzzling prophet Daniel wrote in a vision about “a horn”, a symbol of power in his day, which had eyes and a mouth that was sounding off in a loud boastful manner – rich imagery indeed! We are left wondering where truth can be found.

The Bible has much more to say about truth.  My favourite bit is Jesus’ declaring “the truth shall set you free” (John 8:32). It is a touchstone of my pastoral ministry. Reflection on the truth of our actions and their consequences keeps us humble. So often we hide from the truth about ourselves, or the situation we find ourselves in, for fear of rocking the boat or being seen as a different person than we imagine ourselves to be. Courage and faith encourage us to face truth; God’s expression of love tells us that accepting the truth is the start of healing and reconciliation.

The cry of those in need is more grounded than any boast; it calls us to face up to the challenges and suffering of our times. To listen to the unheard, the ignored, the silenced - and their call for resources and energy to be helpfully applied - is where true courage, faith and love will be revealed.

St Paul, top social media influencer of his day, reminded the world of this truth: 

“Love is patient, love is kind.
It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.”
(1 Corinthians 13:4). 

We could all do with taking a leaf out of that book!

Simon.