I’m not that old. Like, seriously. At the time of writing, I’m only 28. I’ve never felt as though I’m getting old before. That is, aside from the fact that my back hurts a lot more lately. Apparently though, all millennials can relate to that. Right?
Recently though, something made me feel old and I haven’t forgotten it since. I was speaking at an event for teenagers and I made mention of what I thought would be instantly recognisable song lyrics. I noticed that no one in the room picked up what I was laying down. Perhaps the subtlety of my poetic and lyrical mastery had slid under their radar? Resolving to be more blunt, I mentioned that I “hadn’t expected to drop Linkin Park lyrics today!” Looking around again, horror trickled through my body. I slowly came to the realisation that no-one in the room knew Linkin Park, aside from some of the staff and myself.
For the first time, I honestly asked myself: “Am I getting old?”
I realise Linkin Park is not for everyone, but later I took it upon myself to educate some of these teens. I showed them a couple of the bands biggest songs from when I was a teen, believing this would instantly win them over. It didn’t. Their expression said it all. They were polite, but ultimately, this was irrelevant to them. This band that had been such a monumental part of my early teenage years was now meaningless to a generation.
What does this have to do with Adventism? I’m glad you asked.
Have you ever worried that the beliefs and expression of Adventism could be old and irrelevant to a current generation? Perhaps you’ve experienced it, firsthand? It’s painful to imagine and see. I don’t want something I value so much to ever be perceived as archaic and/or meaningless to others. I’m guessing, if you’re reading this, you don’t either.
Believe it or not, there is a framework within Adventism that is inherently designed to prevent this; a single structure in our belief systems that sets it apart from so many others. Embracing it can be revolutionary in the way we shape our theology (beliefs and understandings of God) and missiology (beliefs and understandings about how we live out our faith and mission to the world).
That framework is called Present Truth. Heard of it? Many haven’t unfortunately.
Present Truth is all about the Truth we have to speak to the world today. Truth doesn’t change but what we emphasize and even what we discover over time in our church does. The way we understand God grows with us over time, it’s not stuck in what previous generations thought.
The key text that we get this from is 2 Peter 1:12 (NKJV):
For this reason, I will not be negligent to remind you always of these things, though you know and are established in the present truth.
Simon Peter writes this straight after he writes about growing in your faith over time and adding things like virtue, knowledge, perseverance, etc. I would encourage you to spend some time reflecting on 2 Peter 1:2-12. What he is talking about here is that over time we grow (personally and collectively) and get a clearer picture of Jesus and the message He needs us to speak to the world.
Do you see how exciting this is!? Do you see how much this adds to our belief system!? This means that God will always have a message to speak to each generation throughout the ages. A message that will break chains, wipe away tears, bring freedom and conviction, lift hearts and turn mourning to dancing.
This, to me, is what makes Adventism so special. It can look a bit different from generation to generation and that’s ok! The emphasis we place on various beliefs and expressions of those beliefs will look different because there is present truth for today. We must tell the greatest story ever told in a language that each generation will understand so that they can tell it to the next generation in a language they understand.
So, what is present truth today? In a word, it is unfolding. In the same way that God through Christ reveals his character. Not all-at-once, but gradually to those with ears to hear. I believe we as Adventists have an opportunity to allow the work of Present Truth to do its work in our generation. What work, you might ask? Well, here’s a small taste of what Present Truth can remind us:
– The Sabbath and that we are not slaves to consumerism
– Our physical and mental health is all part of your spiritual health
– 2020 is not the end of the story. Jesus, the victory of God and New Creation is.
– Jesus. All.
What do you think the Holy Spirit is pushing us to tell the present-day world? What is unique to this generation? What trends do you see and how does the gospel speak into them?
May we all bring grace, peace and Present Truth to every generation.
WRITER: Joshua Stothers, Pastor at Hamilton Central SDA Church.