I remember the day truth found me, normative truth that is, and it wasn’t in a church pew or quiet devotional moment. It was on a drill pad, surrounded by hundreds of Airmen at Lackland Air Force Base, standing at attention in full formation.
I was in Basic Military Training, still full of fight, pride, and the need to prove myself.
When the Training Instructors (TIs) clocked out for the day, I’d go looking for a different kind of training, one that involved fists, not formation. I would stir up fights in the dorms, trying to dominate the other guys in our squadron. In other words, I thought I was all that and a bag of Doritos with a Mountain Dew on the side, so much so that I thought I was getting away with it.
But truth, with its transformative power, has a way of showing up at just the right time.
One day, with the entire Wing assembled in formation, our lead TI stepped forward. His voice boomed across the drill pad: “There’s been a breach in integrity. Someone has been tearing down what we’re trying to build. And I know who it is. But I want him to step forward and take ownership of it. So if it’s you, take one step forward.”
I didn’t move!
But the second he finished his sentence, every single Airman behind me took one step back.
There I was. Standing alone. Exposed by a norm I had rejected, and a community I had violated.
That moment on the drill pad reminds me of a man named Ezra, a priest, a scribe, a reformer. He stepped into a broken world after Israel’s exile. Their identity was cracked. Their unity was shattered. Their standards? Forgotten. Just like me in my rebellious moment on the hot concrete, Israel stood alone, in a humbled position, not by choice, mind you, but by the consequence of their disobedience of the Norm of God.
So what did Ezra do?
He set his heart to study God’s law, live it out, and teach it faithfully (Ezra 7:10). He reminded the people not just of who they were, but of how they ought to live. He didn’t create a new truth. He restored the normative truth they had abandoned.
Normative truth is the kind of truth that binds a people together, fostering a sense of unity and shared purpose. It’s not just about what is true—it’s about what ought to be true. It shapes community, identity, order, and direction.
Ezra called the people back to that truth.
But Ezra was just the beginning.
Years later, Jesus would walk among us—not just to teach the norms of God, but to embody them. Where Ezra read the scroll, Jesus became the scroll in motion. He said, “I haven’t come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it” (Matt. 5:17). Jesus didn’t lower the standard. He fulfilled it in grace and truth. He didn’t just adjust and correct behavior—He transformed hearts. He took the code and made it a covenant of love.
Today, we live in a culture where the idea of “norms” is under attack. People want the truth to be fluid, personal, and optional. But real life doesn’t work that way. We must remember the contrast between cultural norms and Christ's truth, and the importance of aligning with the latter.
Just like in Basic Training, there’s always a moment where the standard confronts you. You either align with it or get exposed by it!
But here’s the beauty of the Gospel: Jesus doesn’t leave us alone on the drill pad. He steps forward with us, offering forgiveness and transformation. He gives us the strength to live by the norm, not as a burden, but as a blessing, reassuring us of his loving presence.
Here are a few things to reflect on this week:
- Have you ever been “out of step” with God’s truth? What happened?
- What standards do you live by? Are they shaped more by culture or by Christ?
- How can you recommit today to live by the truth Jesus fulfilled in love?
As always…Stay salty. Shine bright. Suit up.
Pastor Drake