A teacher I know named Clint recently recounted an experience he had as a student that left a lasting impression. One day, Clint and another student named Danny were unexpectedly called out of class and brought to the school office to help with a brief errand. After a few minutes, they returned to find two lines drawn on the chalkboard at an angle—one on top, clearly longer, and one below, clearly shorter.
The teacher then began to ask the class a simple question: “Which line is longer?” One by one, students began to respond that the bottom line—the shorter one—was actually longer. Clint and Danny were stunned. It was obvious the top line was longer. Yet their classmates gave various clever explanations: the lighting, the angle, the optical illusion, and more. One after another, their peers—some of them close friends, football teammates, academic achievers, and admired classmates—insisted that the shorter line was the longer one.
As more and more students gave the same incorrect answer, Clint began to doubt his own perception. Could he be wrong? Could the bottom line somehow be longer? Finally, the teacher turned to Clint and Danny and asked what they thought. Clint felt torn. Everything in him said the top line was longer, but the sheer weight of group opinion tempted him to go along with the crowd.
Just before Clint could speak, Danny blurted out, “You guys are nuts! The bottom line is clearly shorter!” With that, the teacher smiled and revealed the purpose of the exercise: it was a lesson in peer pressure and the power of groupthink. Clint never forgot that day. He had very nearly caved.
As a Christian, God often reminds Clint of that classroom moment. There are times in life when standing for the truth will make you feel alone or uncertain, especially when the majority insists on something false. But the call of Jesus is to walk in truth, even when it’s unpopular.
This is nothing new. In 1 Kings 18:22, Elijah stood alone against the crowd:
“Then Elijah said to them, ‘I am the only prophet of the Lord who is left, but Baal has 450 prophets.’”
One against 450. Yet Elijah stood for truth.
Will you walk with Jesus—the way, the truth, and the life—even when the rest of world around you are saying and living something different?