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Friday April 4 - A false witness who pours out lies There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him... a
false witness who pours out lies... Proverbs 6:16,19
At a recent united praise and prayer event in my city, a local councillor asked us to pray for falsehoods to be revealed and for truth to prevail, because ‘disinformation’ was having a corrosive effect on our community. This was a very pertinent and brave thing for which to request prayer. Such is the extent and damage that falsehoods cause that the BBC has a whole team supposedly dedicated to trying to ‘verify’ the many claims made about events around the world.
Originally this ‘detestable thing’ was about false witness in the law courts. Obviously, that is a context where we, as Christians, must be especially careful, having taken an oath on the Bible, otherwise we bring God into disrepute. If we are represented by a lawyer, we need to be very careful that they do not deflect the jury from the truth to help us achieve a favourable outcome.
But this principle applies in many other contexts, such as when chatting at the school gate, or what we put on social media platforms. It is so easy, when we are relaxed and feeling comfortable with people, to state or hint things which are not true and thus harm others. We also need to be aware that the lie may not start with us; it could be from a newspaper or social media feed. So we need to be discerning and alert before we pass on any misrepresentations of the truth.
Lord God, please help us always to be honest in our assessment of other people and never to tell lies. Amen.
Sat April 5 - Stiring up conflict in the community
There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him... and a person who stirs up conflict in the community. Matthew 5:19
In the summer of 2024, we experienced the horror of violence and rioting on our streets in several cities – Southport, Sunderland, Stoke-on-Trent and Tamworth to name but a few. This unrest was provoked by ‘anti-asylum-seekers’. The violence was triggered by alleged ‘fake news’ – false witness in other words – and this claim was then amplified via social media, causing serious unrest. So bad was it that one notable American said Britain was heading for civil war. Fortunately, this further provocation proved false!
However, we can stir up conflict in our community in less obvious ways. If we are always wanting more and better things, it generates discontent in us and those around us. If we gossip, and implicitly or openly accuse neighbours of being annoying, it sows the seeds of discontent. Equally if we are annoying or thoughtless by playing music too loud or even having the TV on at maximum volume, it will upset people – especially if we are living in a block of flats or sharing accommodation as students. Jumping the queue at the supermarket also generates conflict, as I observed last Saturday!
It is sometimes right that we should protest about injustice and unnecessary deprivation in our community, but the insight from God given here guides us to do so always with the aim of bringing peace, and not hatred or division.
Thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, that you came to bring peace between communities and cultures. Help me today to be a peacemaker, wherever I go. Amen.
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PRAYER FOR TODAY
PRAYER FOR TODAY