The God Who Is There
A Timeless Insight on Truth
“The present chasm between the generations has been brought about almost entirely by a change in the concept of truth.”
You wouldn’t blame anyone for thinking that this was written in 2024.
There has been an acceleration of suspicion when it comes to things like news reporting, the integrity of leaders, the rampant use of social media and endless conspiracy theories in recent years, which all lead people to ask the question, “what is the truth?”.
It was in fact Francis Schaeffer who wrote these words that form the opening lines of his first book, The God Who Is There, back in 1968. Schaeffer was an American pastor and evangelist who, as well as his books and other publications, was known for establishing L’Abri (literally, “The Shelter”), a place for people to ask and explore the big questions of life.
The Erosion of Absolutes
Schaeffer’s observation that the concept of truth had dramatically changed was borne out by his analysis that prior to the 20th century, most Westerners had the assumed belief that for something to be true, the opposite was false. The idea of ‘absolutes’ was commonplace, meaning that universal truths were just accepted. Whether it was in areas of philosophy, art, medicine or theology, there were, as Schaeffer called them, presuppositions that most people subscribed to and built their lives on.
But this began to rapidly change as the Western world entered into the Cold War years and the sexual revolution of the 1960s, whereby absolutes were no longer taken at face value and were instead being contested. A classic example was the changing nature of the family, marriage and sex. What was once mainstream belief that marriage was between a man and woman, the family was the bedrock of society, and sex was exclusive to a husband and wife, was now being challenged and changed at a fundamental level. It would have been a scandal even 60 years ago to have had more than one sexual partner - now it’s a badge of honour!
Of course, challenging the status quo has led to significant breakthroughs, whether that’s in the fields of science, technology or medicine and these should be celebrated. But when historic and universal principles concerning life, humanity and even God are challenged, Schaeffer argued that this would lead to significant cultural decline. Schaeffer’s concern was that when the world dispenses of core values, much of them drawn from Christianity, people lose their purpose and meaning, and society loses its richness and diversity.
Schaeffer's Call to Reclaim Truth
Schaeffer would spend much of his ministry arguing for a reclaiming of truth, and that the only place to find real meaning and purpose and for society to flourish, was to come back to the absolute truth that there is a God who is there, that He has revealed Himself to humanity in the person of Jesus Christ, and that there is a divinely instituted order to how the world works and relates to one another.
I’ve often wondered what Schaeffer would make of the world today. From all that I’ve read, Schaeffer was a humble man and yet I’m sure he would find himself whispering, “I told you so.” The warnings he expressed in the 1960s and 1970s have in many ways become a reality. In that sense, Schaeffer is a prophet for our time.
So if you’re confused with what is going on in the world, or concerned about where culture is going, let me encourage you to read some of Schaeffer. If you’re grappling with how to speak to your friends about Jesus, let me encourage you to read some of Schaeffer. His incisive cultural commentary cuts through so much of the nonsense that we see and hear and his approach to evangelism is timeless - in homes, around the table, expressing truth with love.
