Bonzai Shongwe, a pastor and entrepreneur in my country, has taken to using YouTube to bring some discernment and sense to the events unfolding here and in the world. He uses biblical principles to help us put our circumstances into perspective in the bigger picture of God and His ways.
One of the principles in Scripture he has highlighted is the trality of functioning in the narratives we believe. This principle is clearly described in the following verse.
Romans 10:17 NIV
[17] “Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”
Faith, as I have already written, is only authentic if it is rooted in truth. Here, then, is the principle that governs, not only the way faith works in us to activate the gospel message but also the way delusion works to activate the false narratives, spread by many leaders, that people believe.
The principle is simple. When we listen to a story and believe what it says, it begins affect our lives.
So, when we listen to the story about Jesus and believe that it is true, we will think and adjust our lives in keeping with the narrative.
We can apply this principle, not only to the truth about Jesus but also to the many lies that the devil has sown in the minds of people through false narratives. This is exactly what happened when the first human pair listened to the lies of the serpent in the garden of Eden, told in graphic picture language.
Genesis 3:1-7 NIV
[1] “Now the serpent was more crafty than any of the wild animals the Lord God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God really say, ‘You must not eat from any tree in the garden’?” [2] The woman said to the serpent, “We may eat fruit from the trees in the garden, [3] but God did say, ‘You must not eat fruit from the tree that is in the middle of the garden, and you must not touch it, or you will die.’ ” [4] “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. [5] “For God knows that when you eat from it YOUR EYES WILL BE OPENED , and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” [6] When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it. [7] Then THE EYES OF BOTH OF THEM WERE OPENED, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.”
God’s narrative was, “Do not eat from the forbidden tree. If you do, you will die.” Satan’s narrative was, “God is lying. You will not die. You will become your own god.” They believed the devil’s narrative and…they died! They died to God and they died to the possibility of eternal life.
What are the stories we hear from many sources…from government officials and international leaders, from the mass media, from pastors and teachers, from our friends and associates, in fact…from anywhere? Whichever story we listen to and believe, we will follow and be affected by what it says.
Politically-motivated leaders serve their own agendas by pushing personal prejudices and grievances from the public platform as though they were true. With narratives that stir emotions and draw a following for personal gain, many of them further their own ambitions rather than the good of others .
To verify the truth of any narrative, we must first identify its source and its motive, and then check the evidence.
For example, the world is listening to the stories coming from our country, and some leaders of other countries are believing them and acting accordingly, without verifying the the authenticity of their source, the reason for the story, or the evidence of the truth of what they are saying. The result? Some drastic outcomes, for power and attention.
This principle is so important that,, to safeguard our own responses, we must be careful to verify what we believe before we act. How can we know which stories to believe? Check the source! Who tells the story? Motive! Why are they telling the story? Evidence! Look for the evidence of truth or lies in the content of the story…and beware of deliberately perpetrated false information.
Let me illustrate.
The religious leaders told the story that Jesus was a dangerous man, a blasphemer and a revolutionary…So, all the people demanded His death at the instigation of their leaders. Who was peddling the narrative? Their own religious leaders! Why? Because Jesus challenged their hypocritical “righteousness” as leaders and their power over their people.
Luke 23:18, 20-23, 25 NIV
[18] “But the whole crowd shouted, “Away with this man! Release Barabbas to us!”…
[20] Wanting to release Jesus, Pilate appealed to them again. [21] But they kept shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” [22] For the third time he spoke to them: “Why? What crime has this man committed? I have found in him no grounds for the death penalty. Therefore I will have him punished and then release him.”
[23] But with loud shouts they insistently demanded that he be crucified, and their shouts prevailed…
[25] He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrendered Jesus to their will.”
Among the crowd, there must surely have been many people who had been healed, set free from demons, and blessed by Jesus’ ministry and yet, despite the evidence, they believed the narrative of the religious leaders.
Terrible things happen when unscrupulous people publicise false narratives devoid of evidence, loudly and persistently enough to capture the public imagination. In response, people mindlessly do unimaginable things because they believe the narrative and don’t check the source or the evidence!
Here is a case in point, told graphically in Acts 19.
The lie and false narrative, verses 26 and 27…
Acts 19:23-27 NIV
[23] “About that time there arose a great disturbance about the Way. [24] A silversmith named Demetrius, who made silver shrines of Artemis, brought in a lot of business for the craftsmen there. [25] He called them together, along with the workers in related trades, and said: “You know, my friends, that we receive a good income from this business. [26] And you see and hear how this fellow Paul has convinced and led astray large numbers of people here in Ephesus and in practically the whole province of Asia. He says that gods made by human hands are no gods at all. [27] There is danger not only that our trade will lose its good name, but also that the temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited; and the goddess herself, who is worshiped throughout the province of Asia and the world, will be robbed of her divine majesty.”
The silversmiths believed the story…
Acts 19:28 NIV
[28] “When they heard this, they were furious and began shouting: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”…
The people of Ephesus joined the riot according to what they heard and believed…
Acts 19:32 NIV
32] The assembly was in confusion: Some were shouting one thing, some another. Most of the people did not even know why they were there.”
Injustice happened, based on a false narrative from a false witness…
Acts 19:29-31, 33-34 NIV
[29] Soon the whole city was in an uproar. The people seized Gaius and Aristarchus, Paul’s traveling companions from Macedonia, and all of them rushed into the theater together. [30] Paul wanted to appear before the crowd, but the disciples would not let him. [31] Even some of the officials of the province, friends of Paul, sent him a message begging him not to venture into the theater…
[33] The Jews in the crowd pushed Alexander to the front, and they shouted instructions to him. He motioned for silence in order to make a defense before the people. [34] But when they realized he was a Jew, they all shouted in unison for about two hours: “Great is Artemis of the Ephesians!”
This entire fracas was based on a lie peddled by a liar based on a fabricated idea!
Many liars are publicising false narratives in mass gatherings to sow choas in our country. Many liars are selling false doctrines from pulpits across the world to lead people astray.
I appeal to you, my readers. Test the story. Check the source. Check the evidence. Believe the truth. Your future, your life is at stake.
For us, the undesputed truth is that Jesus is Lord. Follow Him.