The Second Truth

Abigail put on a cap and sunglasses. She took a cane by the front door, and they left. They walked along the road for a time. Joe could tell they were coming to the outskirts of a little town. He really wanted to talk before they got around other people, so he asked, “Abigail, could you tell me more about the Seven Truths? What is truth number two?”

“Truth number two,” she began, “follows from number one. So let’s review. What is truth number one?”

“The Lord is one?” Joe responded. He wasn’t sure he had the words right.

“That’s right, Joe. So what would logically follow from that?”

“I’m not sure. This is all so new to me.”

“Okay, let’s try another way,” she said. “If you’ll recall, I said just before the phone rang, that God is the ultimate reality. That being true, what would follow from that?”

Joe thought for a moment. Then he asked, “Would it mean that God made everything?”

“Exactly that. Now, open up your brand new Bible. Flip over a couple of pages to Genesis 1:1. It is the first verse of the Bible. What does it say?”

Joe carefully took the Bible out of his pocket. He found his way to Genesis 1:1 and read: “’In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.’ So, I think that means that there is a Creator and a creation. That would also mean that God is independent of his creation, since he made it. And I think that would also mean that the universe had a beginning. Is that the idea?”

“Yes, Joe. That is the Second Truth. Also, you could add that you and I are creations, and so we don’t deserve to be worshipped. Yet we spend so much of our effort trying to bring glory to ourselves, which is just another way of worshipping ourselves, or getting others to do it for us.”

“Wow,” Joe exclaimed, “I never thought of that way before. So, every time I brag or bring a success to someone else’s attention, or even put myself above another person, I am attempting to steal glory that belongs to God. It’s like being a groupie."

“That’s interesting,” Abigail said. “What do you mean by that?”

“Well, you know, a groupie is someone who follows rock stars around. They aren’t famous, but they try to live in the shadow of someone who is famous. Like all of us in reference to God’s glory, we try to siphon off glory from him.”

They had arrived in the town, and stopped at a street corner. “Joe, this is the stop for my bus. Do you want to take the bus with me?”

“I think I’ll go ahead from here. Abigail, thank you for everything. You have been a great inspiration to me. I’ve only known you for a few hours, but I feel like we have really become friends. Can I give you a hug before you go?”

“Certainly, Joe.”

After they had hugged, Abigail took Joe’s hand and pressed something into his palm. When she did this she said, “Listen, Joe. Here’s some money. I have thought about this, and I want to do it. Let’s just call it lunch money. There’s a little café in town. Check it out if you get hungry later.” Even though Joe had never accepted charity before, he thought it would be wrong to deny her. So he shoved the money into his pocket. In a few minutes her bus came. They embraced again. She got on the bus and he watched it pull away from the curb.
Questions:

1. What is the Second Truth?

2. Why does it follow from the First Truth?

3. What conclusions did Abigail and Joe make from the Second Truth?

4. Why is a person who doesn’t understand, or live by, the Second Truth like a groupie?