Fake news is all a buzz now. Recent events have exposed the modern practice of throwing out false claims and watching profits roll as people feast on the absurd and serve it up again through social media. Layers of regurgitation are added as tweet after tweet, blog after blog pile on their summation of the “facts.” The end result is a blown up discussion about what others have contrived rather than a discussion of the actual events. It’s a portrait of the information age we live in. No shortage of opinions. But a dearth of understanding on the actual situations.

People need to put aside their opinions and attachment to what others have said and look at the actual events. And it’s not just with Trump and politics. It’s in everything including Christianity. This Easter I want to encourage you to read the gospel accounts for yourself. Unfortunately too many people today believe what they have heard about the gospels but have never really looked at them to see what they say. And I’m not talking just to non-Christians who have never read the Bible. I’m also talking to the many “Christians” who profess Jesus as their Lord and Savior but never read the actual events and build their faith on Scripture.

Faith comes by hearing the word (Rom 10:17). If a Christian is going to grow in faith it requires reading the word. If you want to discover who Christ is and what he did, stop reading blogs and pick up the Bible. Find a friend to discuss it with. Many people reject the Bible today and have never read significant portions of it to understand what it means. And the reason many have not wanted to read it is because they have seen the harsh tweets and retweets of people denouncing their opinions. We need is a warm, respectful, and honest coming together around the Scriptures and other actual issues.

One of the great battle cries of the Christian church was “ad fontes,” meaning back to the fountain. In the middle-ages people’s opinions and theology carried greater weight than the Bible and it carried the church into error. Faithful saints began the cry to return to the source of all that theology and opinion. People rediscovered the Bible, the fountain of theology and faith, and renewal came. How much more do we need thoughtful reflection on the substance rather than superficial reaction to fleeting thoughts. Fake news destroys good news, and the only way to tell the difference is to examine the events yourself.

If you are interested in reading the Bible then come to Bridgeway! We would love to have you regardless of your background. We are starting a Discovering Christianity class on April 23. Come see what the Bible says!