How do you determine what the truth is?
Trying to figure out what the truth is in an election season is like trying to find a single snowflake in a cold rain. At night. Without a flashlight. And doing so in July.
The truth can feel impossible to find. Any sense of identifying a universal truth amidst all our tribal differences and allegiances can seem like a fool's errand.
And why? Because we know that:
The truth can be carved up—weaponized to divide and conquer.
The truth can be distorted—molded and shaped to benefit the 'truth-teller.'
The truth can be slippery—used to lubricate ulterior motives.
As people of faith, how does one stake a claim on, well, anything, in an age when the truth is distrusted, malleable, and abused? Yes, our postmodern realities have cast doubt on certifiable truth and have opened the door for mass confusion. When followers of Jesus talk about the truth, the conversation must always include the truth about God and the truth about ourselves. When we know these two truths, Jesus tells us, we'll be able to see more clearly in a world full of deception and lies.
When one looks to the Bible to help determine the truth, we find that Luke's enterprise to tell the story of Jesus is founded on his quest to provide an "orderly account" for his benefactor (Theophilus). Luke has done thorough research "so that Theophilus may know the truth." To convey this truth about Jesus, Luke details that he has "investigated everything carefully from the very first." (Luke 1:3-4)
Lesson #1: Luke did his homework to learn the truth about Jesus. He went back to the beginning and learned what he could, employing multiple sources, and asking good questions. What does that mean? The truth requires effort. The truth requires thoughtful examination.
Speaking poetically at the top of his Gospel, John connects Jesus with the truth. John says that, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God." Jesus is the Word—a philosophical acknowledgment that Jesus is the revelation, and the explanation of God. John goes on to say that, "Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." (John 1:1 & 1:17)
Lesson #2: Jesus reveals the truth about God. We know God because we know Jesus. And, knowing the truth about God, we can learn the truth about ourselves. Jesus is the way to know God, the way to know ourselves, and the way to know who God wants us to become. When we consider our faith, truth is our knowledge of God in Jesus and the awareness that we are not at all god-like, ourselves.
Interestingly, John describes John the Baptist's role as a truth-teller, and as one who testifies. John proclaimed the truth about God and reminded people of the truth about themselves (You know, something about being a brood of vipers). When we accept the truth that we have sinned and fall short of God's glory, the truth about God's grace is like a tall glass of sparkling-water after weed-eating our murderously steep bank (substitute your beverage of choice to capture the power of Jesus' Living Water).
Jesus famously teaches his followers, "If you continue in my word, you are truly my disciples; and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free." (John 8:31) To be Jesus's disciples means that we know God. Knowing God liberates us from the tyranny of self. The truth is that we are wired for self-interest. That means that we are wired for self-deceit and self-delusion. In short, our baseline, our starting place in life, is of serving ourselves in whatever we can to further our own best interest. Knowing the truth about God means that we understand that God's character is self-emptying and self-less. Jesus reveals this in his life, his ministry, and his sacrifice.
Lesson #3: Pursuing the truth means pursuing God. Being a people of truth in Jesus means being aware of ourselves and being honest about our true motives. In pursuing truth, we become liberated from those who wish to exploit our brokenness for their self-interest. If we want to find truth in this world, we should look for examples of Christ on bended knee, washing others' feet.
We remember the words of Paul who sums this up very nicely: "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds, so that you may discern what is the will of God—what is good and acceptable and perfect." (Romans 12:2)
And here's the final lesson: Knowing the truth renews our minds and transforms our lives to be more like Jesus.
If you're looking for truth in this world, look for that. Look for examples of Jesus.