In my interactions with Christians and non-Christians alike, I keep finding myself having to grapple with this question: Do I or do I not believe in truth propositions? It is a preposterous question by all proportions, I know. How can I, as a believer and follower of Jesus Christ , not believe in truth propositions?

Still, I insist that this question in itself is vitally necessary. But it is not my belief in truth propositions that is in question here, but rather, the principles that guide my expression of these truth propositions. I repeat...it is not my belief in truth propositions that is in question here, but rather, the principles that guide my expression of these truth propositions. Truth propositions in themselves are desirable; but it is frequently the handler of these propositions that render the propositions themselves unnecessarily repelling. After all, if Marshall McLuhan is right that "the medium is the message", then one should ensure that the manner of presenting truth propositions is befitting of the very propositions we seek to present.

And in my estimation, it is crucial that the following considerations be factored into one's attempts at responsibly handling truth propositions:

1. In my fixation on asserting truth claims about God, we may misrepresent him, who truly desires to be known as a person more than as a concept. Perhaps the issue is more about the sequence of introduction more than it is about whether I believe in truth propositions. Maybe truth propositions are meant to be discovered as a part of one's journey of following Christ rather than asserted as a way to make people decide to follow Christ. The latter approach often demeans the hearer in a very profound way. It is unfortunate that many non-Christians reject the message because of the approach, rather than because of the essense of the message itself.

In introducing Christ to others, I would rather introduce Christ as the God-man who penetrated the history of mankind and showed the world how to live in the way of Christ. It is the virtues of the person of Christ, introduced and expressed through my life, that would even present a compelling attractive power to others. And for those who hear and respond to the call to follow the way of Christ, the subsequent desire to understand the claims of this Christ about himself and about us naturally follows.

2. My claims about him are neither complete nor perfect. All too many times, the gospel has been presented by well-meaning Christians as if we know better than anyone else because the truth has been revealed to us (whereas the rest of the world is all but godly). This is unfortunate, because we have a lot to learn from the religious Buddhist monk and the religious Muslim dakwah about the way of Christ. Yes, we do. Please understand this: God, in his sovereign grace, has lovingly scattered glimpses of truth beyond our propositional categories that may lead others to Christ.

Thus, it would be good for us to season our approach towards other religious people will a lot of grace. After all, wasn't it through grace alone that the person and truth of Christ has been revealed to us? Wasn't it by grace alone that our hearts were inclined to hear the laws of God and to live in the way of Christ? Grace and love...these are what win the hearts of people to the Lord. Similarly, truth propositions are meant to be embodied in grace and love, not in assertive statements that express less respect for other people than they deserve.

I guess this would be my rule of thumb in terms of my facilitation of truth propositions: When it comes to Christians, I will present truth propositions...and I will keep on presenting them whilst also emphasising the more relational way of Christ. When it comes to non-Christians, I will live it...and then say it later when asked.