And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
John 8:32
STORY
Ukrainian singer Jamala won the 2016 Eurovision Song Contest with her song “1944.” It was a song about Soviet dictator Josef Stalin’s deportation of the Crimean Tatars, a Turkic ethnic group that lived on the Crimean Peninsula. Stalin deported the Crimean Tatars fearful that he couldn’t politically control them during Russia’s war with Nazi Germany. Many died during the deportation. Many of those who did survive the arduous trip starved to death on the barren steppes of central Asia where they were relocated. This was a dark day in the history of Soviet Union. Jamal is a stage name. Jamal’s real name is Susana Jamaladinova. The 32-year-old is a trained opera singer whose great-grandmother was deported in 1944. Nearly 200 million people globally watched her perform at Eurovision. In selecting the song “1944” Jamala said, “I was sure that if you sing, if you talk about the truth, it really can touch people.”
DEVOTION
We are to touch individuals with that which is good, right, and true. A candle may be a small light, but it does burn bright in a darkened room. And a sanctuary full of candles can illuminate an entire community. Think about a Christmas Eve candlelight service and the soft glow the lighted candles create in the sanctuary.
On April 29, 1854, James Calvert, a Methodist missionary to the island of Fiji, was ecstatic as he heard the death drums beating. After years of evangelizing and teaching the gospel to the Fijiian chief on Viwa Island, he ordered that the death drums, which once were used to announce a human sacrifice, were now calling everyone to come and worship in the mission chapel. The darkness of human sacrifice was now conquered by the light of the gospel message.
We can make a loving difference in the world. We can make a loving difference in the lives of our family members, our friends, our coworkers, fellow Christians, and the community in which we dwell, by being the light of truth. We can make a loving difference in the life of the parishioner sitting beside you and in the pew across the aisle from you. We can make a loving difference in the life of a stranger. We can make a loving difference in the life of someone who has only known darkness.
In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act.
― George Orwell
The quote “In a time of deceit telling the truth is a revolutionary act” is commonly attributed to George Orwell, the British author of such works as “1984” and “Animal Farm.” However, there’s no evidence that Orwell ever wrote or said these exact words. The quote does not appear in any of his published works, essays, or letters.
Nonetheless, the sentiment expressed in the quote aligns with themes commonly found in Orwell’s work. In “1984,” for instance, Orwell explores a dystopian future where the government, known as “The Party,” uses propaganda and manipulation to control the perception of truth among its citizens. In this context, speaking the truth would indeed be a revolutionary act, as it would challenge the deceptive narrative promoted by The Party.
So, while the quote is not directly from Orwell, it does reflect the spirit of his critique on totalitarian regimes and their manipulation of truth.
Be a light, a revolutionary, who speaks biblical truth in a sunless world.