What Is Truth?

Truth has been under attack for most, if not all, of my life; but it seems that the current social and political atmosphere lends itself even more to this assault. It has become increasingly difficult to determine who is telling the truth, causing some in the younger generations to question whether any real truth actually exists.  

But this is not really a modern problem; it is a human problem. In 33AD, during the trial of Jesus Christ, Pontius Pilate mocked him with the question, “What is truth?” (John 18:38). He echoed the age-old question that has always plagued mankind since the Fall – and the eternal struggle to trust something or Someone other than ourselves.

Some would have us embrace the idea of relative or subjective truth – that there can be one truth for you and a different truth for me. The results of this idea are what we see played out most often in our interactions with others socially and politically. As Christians, we can be tempted to buy into this idea when we practice tolerance for everything or choose our own comfort over upholding the Biblical teaching of absolute truth when faced with difficult personal relationships.

Yesterday the speaker at our church defined truth as “statements of fact that match reality”. He also added that truth always contains an element of morality. This is because actual truth comes from God and is a reflection of his character. As Jesus stated in John 14:6 about himself, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” That’s why there is no such thing as relative or subjective truth. The only real truth is absolute and unchangeable, like God Himself.   

Upholding absolute truth is unpopular and sometimes uncomfortable. It can also be difficult to navigate. It means standing up for what the Bible teaches while showing love and care for those who don’t embrace absolute truth. I can’t say that I know exactly what that looks like in every situation. And I can’t say that I’ve always, if ever, found the proper balance between grace and truth. Only Jesus perfectly modeled that equilibrium.

But my daily goal is to continue to stand for truth while improving my ability to give grace to others who see things differently. To become more Christlike, I must aspire to be full of both grace and truth, just as Jesus was (John 1:14). This task seems to be getting more and more challenging in our 21^st century world; but, with God’s help, nothing is impossible (Luke 1:37)! 

Voting With an Eternal Perspective

Last week the mail carrier delivered my August Primary Election ballot and the accompanying Voter’s Pamphlet with information about all of the candidates and issues. As I have never voted strictly along party lines, to say that the task ahead of me is daunting would be an extreme understatement. With 28 candidates for Governor and 11 for U.S. Senator, it is tempting just to skip the voting process altogether. What average citizen really has the time and energy to fully research each candidate and make an informed and responsible decision?

I’m trying to be thankful for the privilege I have in our country to cast a vote and supposedly be a part of the election process. But ever since I moved away from the small town that I was raised in, where I knew at least something about each of the candidates, it has been increasingly difficult to figure out who to vote for. And now that I live in the most populous and most liberal county in the state, the task seems impossible. I used to feel that my vote actually made a difference, but now it is easy to become apathetic.

The truth is, I can think of much better things to spend my time on than politics. And while I hope I don’t sound un-American, there is also this truth: no decisions we humans make in the political arena will have any bearing on what God intends to accomplish in our country or the world. God is sovereign and always will be; and Romans 13:1 makes it clear that only He is actually in charge of who gets elected: “For there is no authority except that which God has established, and those that exist have been instituted by God.”  

This can be a hard verse to accept in a world that contains evil because it means that the reigns of people like Adolf Hitler and Saddam Hussein or the Roman emperors Nero and Caligula were ordained by God. And it means that the battle between parties and candidates in American politics is of little consequence and wields no real power. But for someone like me who is interested in being a good citizen while also being disinterested in most political things, this verse is comforting. It means that Someone bigger and smarter than me is in charge and that nothing I do or don’t do can stop or change His ultimate plan. And even when God’s way of doing things doesn’t make sense to me, this verse also reminds me that my God is definitely more important to trust in than my nation.

So I will go back to the task at hand and try my hardest to make intelligent and informed choices as I fill out my ballot. But I will continue to rest in the truth of God’s sovereignty and be grateful that Jesus has won the battle and that I know how it all ends, regardless of what the so-called “powers-that-be” do between now and then.

From Sea to Shining Sea

Anyone who knows me well knows that I am not a political person. Call me cynical, but I guess I’ve lived long enough to know that neither political party in our country has a corner on virtue or has the ability to solve all of our nation’s problems. And it seems that in my lifetime the chasm between the two sides has grown larger and deeper. It has certainly become more contentious, but so has society as a whole.

As we celebrated Independence Day last week, and as we head into the last four months of another presidential campaign, the words to the chorus of an old patriotic anthem have been stuck in my mind:

America, America

God shed his grace on thee

And crown thy good with brotherhood

From sea to shining sea.

Was there really a time in our country when these words actually had a chance of coming true? In our current culture and atmosphere, it doesn’t seem very likely. The two words that stick out to me are “grace” and “brotherhood”. As I look around in my neighborhood and daily life, I struggle to find much evidence of either of these. There is less and less participation in anything that binds us together as brothers and more and more opportunities to behave independently and separate from others. Even with all of the calls to become “woke”, most in our society are still looking out for themselves first and foremost. And while grace refers to God’s unearned and undeserved favor, it has become less and less likely that America has any right to ask for this gift from God.

The words to America the Beautiful were originally penned by Katharine Lee Bates during the summer of 1893 while she was teaching at Colorado College. Taking a prairie wagon and a mule ride to the top of Pike’s Peak, she was inspired by the view and felt that “all the wonder of America seemed displayed there, with the sea-like expanse”. In keeping with the culture of the times and her upbringing as a minister’s daughter, Bates included in her poem a prayer for God’s grace and a call to come together as a nation during the severe economic depression happening at the time. A lot has changed in our country since 1893.

But here’s what hasn’t changed: God is still sovereign and regularly gives grace freely and unconditionally. And, with his help, each of us can still choose to treat others as brothers and let good win out over evil. No, we will never completely rid our country or the world of evil and all of its consequences; and American politics will never provide all of the answers we need to function as a peaceful and successful nation. But we can each brighten our little corner of the world by showing more love than hate and giving others more grace than judgment. And when we do, we will be bringing a little bit of God’s kingdom to earth.