A television advertisement shows a cartoonish person walking with his head in a cloud or a fog or a ball of cotton. The tagline reads ‘The joy of certainty’ as the cloud lifts and the figure walks on happily. This joy of certainty is promised to those who consult the psychics available at a free-phone number.
Such an ad illustrates something of the restless and rootless character of our times. Many today claim to be rational, modern, and scientific but often are gullible and searching in strange places for certainty and truth. Where can we find certainty in a world that is constantly changing and so very uncertain? As Christians, we look to the Word of God and are confident of the truth that we find there.
How can we help others come to share in the confidence that we have in the Bible? We can and must argue for the truth of our faith, but often moderns think that they have considered our arguments and know better. Are there ways to challenge modern assumptions and lead to a reconsideration of Christian claims?
One way would be to stress the beauty of truth rather than focusing only on the truth of truth. The beauty of truth can be found in both the content and the form of the truth that we find in the Word of God. By beauty we mean the balance and proportion of truth, the attraction and satisfaction of truth. Beauty refers to the emotional fulfilment of truth as well as its rational conviction.
Psalm 103
We can see such beauty at many places in the Scriptures. One example is Psalm 103. The favourite psalm for most Dutch Reformed people, Psalm 103 is a psalm of praise to God for his goodness to his people. This psalm begins and ends with words of praise and blessing to God for his works, both for his personal and individual provisions (vv. 1–14) and for his universal rule in all things (vv. 20–22).
