“As surely as each of them brought a toothbrush with him, he also brought with him his loves and hates, his fears of death and his fears of life, his anxieties, his longings, his pride his doubts…and so did the one who traveled to New Haven to hear them lecture.” This statement from page three of Telling the Truth left me naked and vulnerable as I continued to read the following words of this brilliant work by Fredrick Buechner. As a young college student, pursing ministry, I can’t help but be challenged as I read recognize my self in these words. Every time I get up to preach, I bring with me the world that lives inside of me, and so does everyone who is listening. I am speaking to broken hearts, different personalities and family situations, people who are experiencing extreme financial and marriage trials. Each of who is seeking new life shed on them. Whether they are searching Christ or not, they are undoubtedly searching for and absence or void in their lives to be filled. Thus sets the plot for this work that guides readers on a journey to what it means to tell the truth and …show more content…
Just as the listeners have brought their worlds, so have I brought mine, and with this truth comes a responsibility to be vulnerable and honest with my listeners, just as Christ was with his. Chapter one sets the direction for the journey Buechner’s readers have just embarked. This chapter is titled, “The Gospel of Tragedy, Comedy, and Fairy Tale” and every chapter after is titled after one of these three styles. This chapter reveals a stirring story about Pontius Pilate and his encounter with Jesus that I quickly found myself in. It took nearly no time to realize that I too was searching for the same truth as Pontius Pilate. We all know the story of Jesus’ journey to the