I was particularly excited to have the opportunity to preach to day inasmuch it is October 28. This day has always been special to me because it is the natal day of my homeland Czechoslovakia. On this day in 1918 only a few days before the end of the Great War, although I don’t know what was great about it or any war for that matter, Czechs declared their independence from the Austrian Empire. A year later at the meeting of Versailles the Czechoslovak state was officially declared independent. A new flag flew over the castle Hradcani overlooking the beautiful city of Prague. The nation had a new president in the person of Thomas Masaryk, a kind of a philosopher king whom all the citizens came to love and respect. The new country had a national anthem, Gde domuv mui, “where is my home” – description of the hills, rivers and meadows of the country rather than some militaristic hymn as is often the case. The country also had chosen a national motto: “Truth will prevail.” These were the last words of Jan Hus , the 14th. C reformer before he was burnt at the stake.

Hus paraphrased the biblical worlds “You shall know the truth and the truth shall make you free”(John 8: 30 – 31) when Jesus was confronted by several Jews. They had spoken about their affinity with the patriarch Abraham. Jesus, however, called them to the truth, a truth that will make them truly free.

When Jesus stood before Pilate he again referred to “the truth”, but Pilate shrugged his shoulders and said, “What is truth?” then without waiting for an answer walked away. He having been an official of the Roman state and having often found himself between the Jews and Rome had become very cynical. What is truth?

In our daily life truth of course means that which corresponds with reality. Speaking the truth means telling it as it is. But on the philosophical or theological level things are not that simple. Is the Bible literally true? Some say so and ignore the fact that the Bible is written by many authors, that in fact it contradicts itself. For instance, there are two descriptions of creation in the Book of Genesis. The history of the Jews as told in the Old Testament is certainly inaccurate. In the Gospels there are several accounts of Jesus’ birth and also of his death and resurrection. The Bible was not dictated by God to some scribe and thus inviolable.

One f my concerns about “faith based schools” as has been suggested recently is that many of them insist on teaching creationism which affirms that the biblical account of creation is scientifically true. Rather, I suggest that the Bible contains the truth, that by story, myth, poetry, by parable the truth unfolds.

After being established as a church, the emperor Constantine insisted that there be a statement of belief, thus the creeds. By these creeds, the Apostles Creed and the Nicene Creed the early church define its faith; affirm the truth, as they understand it. I have to confess that I find those creedal statements somewhat difficult to affirm without some interpretation. I rather like the creedal statement that is contained in the St. John’s Rite, which we use frequently in this church. But better still, at least for me is The New Creed which the United Church formulated in 1968. This decade was a time when the church was doing some heavy thinking about its theology. It begins with these powerful words” “We are not alone. We live in God’s world”

These words embody a truth that is much needed by people, to know that we are not alone. We do not live in islolation. There is nothing worse than isolation. One of the worst forms of punishment is to be shut away. Those Christian Peacekeepers who had been kidnapped and hidden away for months said that they were able to maintain sanity and hope by the knowledge that they were not alone, that in spite of their confinement in harsh circumstances they were nevertheless in God’s world and that there were people who remembered them and prayed for them.

In this church as well as in others in our prayers for the people we mention the names of those who are sick or bereaved. I know that if I were shut away it would be a great balm to me to know that there is other who remembers me. I would know that I am not alone, that I live in God’s world, that there are others who care about me. This is the truth that makes us free.

In a book called Miracle in the Andes the story is told about a plane crash in the mountains of South America. The small regional jet became lost in fog and struck a mountain. It slid into snow but did not catch on fire. A goodly number were killed on impact but many survived. These were now confronted with the problem of making it out to safety. They discover a batter radio in the debris of the plane and were able to hear that the crash was in the news but also the terrible news that the search and rescue mission was aborted and that they were alone in the midst of the inhospitable terrain with little food and protection from the elements. The story of their survival was filmed.

Nando, one of the survivors, a man a great courage and determination in the company of another set out over the mountains to find help. Having little more than ordinary street clothes they struggle over the rough terrain. They cross a high ridge beyond which they hope they would see a green valley below. But as they reach the top all they see is endless snow and ice covered peaks. Hope vanished in a moment. Nando says that he stopped breathing, the future seemed totally hopeless. Then he began to think about his father whom he loved very dearly. He e believed that his father had not forgotten him. The image of his father was very powerful and motivated him to push on. If he were to die it would happen in his supreme effort to survive. He realized that he could just lie down and die or he could move on. Thee was very little realistic hope, but he pushed on because he believed so strongly that he was not alone. It was this affirmation that allowed him to cross 60 miles of virtually impossible\ terrain and finally reach safety where a rescue mission was put in motion. It was the truth that he was not alone that gave him the courage and resolve to survive.

We are not alone; we live in God’s world.

The Buddhist monks who walked out of their monasteries in Burma to protest the dictatorship that held its people in thrall for several decades did so because they believed that they were not alone. They were, of course, aware of the danger of their mission; it had been tried before and put down with many casualties. Nevertheless they pressed on joined by many others who believed that their country did not belong to the military oppressor but to God and God’s people. They believed that they were not alone. Hopefully the nations of the world will come to their aid.

As we face global warming and pollution we also need to affirm that this is God’s world that it doesn’t belong to the forces of greed, the warlords and the power elites. It is God’s world and we need to work to liberate it. It means that we need to assert God’s ownership of this planet.

This has been a great year for me. Early in the year, on February 12, in the afternoon my phone rang. It was my son announcing to me that I have become grandfather of Sophia Elizabeth. When I hold this wonderful creature in my arms I turn to butter, I am jelly. And then a pang hits me. As I look at this new life with all its potential I cannot help but wonder about the world that I am leaving to her and indeed to all the other children born and unborn. Will Sophia and all those other children have the assurance that this is God’s world? Like Nando confronted by the snowy mountains of Chile I am convinced that we must move on rather than succumb.

The New Creed ends with the words: “ In life, in death, in life beyond death, we are not alone. We live in God’s world. Thanks be to God.”

Therefore: Go into the world, with a daring and tender love. The world is waiting for you. Go in peace. And may all that you do be done because of live. And the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with you always.”