POMO?

“You did what! Preach without socks? Really?”

Yup, I did. Really! Without socks. Three weeks ago. At my church.

“Gosh, you must be becoming postmodern,” I was accused.

I tell you, the world is coming to a pretty pass and will soon arrive at a sad end because yours faithfully didn’t wear socks while preaching.

Skeptical about these significant advances in preaching that I had made, he asked:

“Did you wear jeans, and was your shirt untucked?”

Do cargo pants count? And an untucked T-shirt with the inane logo of “Life is Good”? (I personally think eternal life is better, but what do I know?)

“Did you wear glasses with square, black rims, and put gel in your hair?

Listen, one can go only so far, OK? No, no cool glasses or spiky hair for this preacher. I have a reputation to uphold, which, in my adventurous foray into sockless homiletics, has now probably been completely shot to bits.

I do have a confession, though: For the first service on that earth-shattering Sunday (first service = traditional), I did wear a sports jacket and shirt, and put on a different pair of pants, and wore another pair of shoes—yes, with socks, I’m ashamed to say.

But the skeptic challenges me again:

“What next? You gonna throw out the Bible?”

One week if it’s socks that are jettisoned, does that mean next week it’s the Bible? Ne feceris ut rideam, as Cicero would say (“Don't make me laugh”).
Anyhow, there I was. Seemingly postmodern.

“I bet you don’t believe in objective truth, now that you have abandoned socks in the pulpit.”

Fac ut vivas (“Get a life”), I replied, in majestic Ciceronian fashion.

Whether or not postmodernism has rejected objective truth is a matter of debate. But the Bible is clear that there is objective truth.

Your law is truth.
And all Your commandments are truth.
The sum of Your word is truth.
Psalm 119:142, 151, 160

(How clearly we can apprehend that truth is another question. IMHO, we can—not perfectly, but sufficiently, and adequately.)

To God, Himself, frequently the quality of truth is attributed, and it appears to be a constant characteristic of deity.

But You, O Lord, are
a God merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger and abundant
in lovingkindness and truth.
Psalm 86:15

His purposes are true.

All the paths of the LORD
are lovingkindness and truth.
Psalm 25:10

His works are true.

The works of His hands
are truth and justice.
Psalm 111:7

Truth virtually surrounds Him.

Lovingkindness and truth go before You.
Psalm 89:14

God’s truth is forever and ever!

The sum of Your word is truth,
And every one of Your
righteous ordinances is everlasting.
Psalm 119:160

And His truth is truly awesome!

For Your lovingkindness is
great to the heavens
And Your truth to the clouds.
Psalm 57:10

May we remain in God’s truth.

Lead me in Your truth and teach me,
For You are the God of my salvation;
For You I wait all the day.
Psalm 25:5

Bless Thou the truth, dear Lord, to me, to me,
As Thou didst bless the bread by Galilee;
Then shall all bondage cease, all fetters fall;
And I shall find my peace, my all in all

Thou art the Bread of Life, O Lord, to me,
Thy holy Word the truth, that saveth me;
Give me to eat and live with thee above;
Teach me to love thy truth, for thou art love.
Mary Lathbury, 1877, and Alexander Groves, 1913

I’ve gotta go get ready to preach today. Where are my socks?