WHOM CAN WE TRUST?
Rev. Richard S. Vosko
Some of us may recall a television program back in the 1970s called “Who Do You
Trust.” (I know. School teachers protested it should be “Whom Do You Trust?”)
The contestants were married couples with unique backgrounds. Each partner
could either answer a question about their relationship or “trust” the other to tell the
truth.
We hear the word “trust” a lot lately. Insurance companies and media outlets
confidently advertise “coverage you can trust.” Why is the word trust so important
today? Marketing professionals know that the reason for long term loyalty to any
product is “brand” trust. Auto dealers send you a note “Thank you for your trust and
loyalty.” The same could be said about human relationships. They are best built on
trust.
The word trust is dependent on the word truth. Isn’t that what we want these days?
Someone we can trust to just please tell us the truth! But both words are used
interchangeably so their definitions are somewhat muddled.
If my sets of truths do not agree with someone else’s truths which one of us is
telling the truth? And, how did I learn that what I believe to be the truth, is the truth? Is
there such a thing anymore that we can call “THE truth?”
I know you must be thinking: “Wait. Didn’t Jesus tell us he is the “way, the truth,
the light.” (John 14:6) So maybe trust and truth are linked to faith in God.
Presumably, for those who believe in God, “faith” means the substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” (Hebrews 11:1) Is it possible to have faith
in something or someone without trust? For ages we have believed that God will deliver
what we hope for. That’s why we pray to God. And, we also have learned from more
contemporary theologies that God trusts in us to deliver the truth, to work for justice.
Thinking about who we can trust to tell the truth is why today’s biblical texts require
close attention. The gospel (Luke 16:10-13) tells us bluntly … if we cannot be trusted in
small matters what makes us think we can handle the big ones. This gospel stresses
the long-standing commitment of God and God’s people to social and economic justice.
It also can address other aspects of our lives.
Can we be trusted to tell the truth? How do we invest our talents and gifts for the
common good? How do we approach hardships, difficulties or divisions in our lives?
Can children trust their parents, teachers, coaches, clergy? Can you trust me, right
now, to speak the truth? Perhaps another story will help.21 September 2025 25th Sunday Ordinary Time of
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Amos is the chief protagonist in the first reading (Amos 8:4-7). He was a simple
herdsman living in the hills of Tekoa, south of Bethlehem, in what is now the West
Bank. He did not want to be a prophet. He was happy living in the countryside with his
animal friends. Besides he did not want anything to do with city dwellers who were, in
his mind, self-absorbed, vengeful and deceitful.
Something came over Amos. He felt the “fire of justice” in his bones and so he
spoke out against social injustices and religious arrogance. He was not worried about
any repercussions. He trusted his own instincts to tell the truth about those corrupt
Israelites. They were taking delight in living at the expense of other people. Amos was
holding the Israelites accountable for their transgressions.
The second reading (1 Timothy 2:1-8) uses the teachings of Paul to guide church
order in the second century. The major concern was to preserve the faith against false
teachings. The offenders are not named but the author exhorts people to stay away
from those who cannot be trusted but to pray for them.
Biblical scholar David Carr wrote that the author undercuts any human claims to
sociopolitical power over other people — “there is also one mediator between God and
humankind.” No one in a leadership role should be allowed to govern or teach in ways
that serve their own interests and ideologies that would deny the human rights of
others. We pray for such people so that all humans can live in peace and harmony
without feat.
This biblical text reminds us to think of humanity and the environment we live in as
part of the creative activity of a nurturing God. That colossal love was revealed in the
teachings of the Jewish Jesus of Nazareth. We gather here for worship trusting in those
teachings. And at the same we pray for those who “abhor justice and pervert all equity.”
(Micah 3:9)
So, whom can we trust to establish a common ground in our own nation? We are
wrestling with that question today. Pope Leo, pondering how to deal with pressing
global problems, said in a recent interview that he “trusts human nature.” Perhaps we
should as well.
We can do the do-ables like Amos and other prophets. In non-violent ways we can
continue to proclaim with unrestricted voices that all human beings are created in the
image and likeness of God. And, we make that claim knowing that we have been
entrusted with the responsibility to protect one another’s human rights to live peacefully and justly.
