The Weekly Word: What you believe in matters

By Tim Purcell, Assistant to the Superintendent of the Northwest District of the Wesleyan Church

I love the movie “Secondhand Lions.” It’s an engaging story of a neglected boy named Walter, whose selfish mother decides to move to Las Vegas and drops him off to live with two eccentric single uncles, Garth and Hub.

While there, Uncle Garth begins to tell Walter an epic story of how Uncle Hub spent 40 years in the French Foreign Legion, sword fighting with sheiks in Africa and loving a princess named Jasmine.

One night, out by the pond, Walter confronts Uncle Hub. Walter’s mother has lied to him many times. He is disillusioned with life, with growing up, and he secretly hopes that Uncle Hub really is the heroic father figure Uncle Garth has told him about.

Walter hopes that someone, anyone, can tell him how to be a man.

Like I said, I love the movie, but I don’t like this part.

“Those stories about Africa,” Walter asks, “About you – they’re true, aren’t they?”

“Doesn’t matter,” Uncle Hub answers.

“It does too. Around my mom, all I hear is lies. I don’t know what to believe in.”

“If you want to believe in something,” says Uncle Hub, “then believe in it. Just because something isn’t true, that’s no reason you can’t believe in it.”

That statement made by Uncle Hub is an example of our world’s view of truth, which says that you create your own truth according to how you feel.

That’s exactly the philosophy that Uncle Hub is expressing to Walter, “If you want to believe in something, then believe in it.”

Sounds dangerous to me.

Contrary to what Uncle Hub said, truth does matter, because what you believe determines your decisions and your decisions determine your destiny.

Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” John 8:31-32 (NIV).

Truth matters because it’s the only thing that will set you free.