He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. Psalm 25:9 (NIV)
Truth Is – The Believe Series – Part 4
Go to PART 1 | PART 2 | PART 3 | PART 4 | PART 5 | PART 6 | PART 7
The truth is an interesting subject. Within the Christian Faith, there are many who claim to own it and know it. It often sounds like:
Here is the truth!
Wait, that’s not the truth, I have it over here.
No way, neither of those things are truth, I know, because I have it over here!
Truth – that's not truth! THIS is truth.
And we fight over which truth is truer than all the other truths.
How can you ever know the truth?
When trying to prepare the disciples for what was ahead, Jesus said, “There is so much more I would like to say to you, but it’s more than you can grasp at this moment. But when the truth-giving Spirit comes, he will unveil the reality of every truth within you.” John 16:13 TPT. Other translations say that the “spirit will lead you into all truth.”
EVERY truth?
ALL truth?
There isn’t just THE truth?
Truth is not a ‘thing.’ It's not something that we can attain and then have. Truth unfolds. Questions lead to truth, which usually leads to more questions, which then leads to more truth… and so on. Truth is knowledge or insight into God, and, well, he is infinite and ultimately unknowable.
I’m reminded of the words of one of my favourite songs: “Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders, let me walk upon the waters, wherever you would call me.”
Truth dwells in the spirit realm. It's not found in our fact sheets, or run sheets; it's not even found in data and spreadsheets. It lives beyond these things. Sure, the crumbs are there, but the source of ALL truth cannot be attained. And therefore, our pursuit of truth is a ‘life long and into eternity' endeavour.
This can sound like a cop out. I hate it when I ask a hard question and the answer I get is, “God is mysterious, so we just have to trust that he knows what he’s doing.”
Argh.
I get it.
But I don’t.
The mystery isn’t to be left alone, it’s to be pursued. A vocation of our faith is to chase down truth every day for the rest of our lives.
The problem is, most of the mysteries that are presented to us in popular culture are solvable – they resolve, and the temptation is to treat faith in the same way. But the mystery of God resolves in a realm outside of our time. Just out of our reach. Above our pay grade. That's not a reason to give up and live with it. It's an invitation to lean into it by faith and seek it out. Celebrate it. Live inside the mystery.
The great Jewish Rabbi Abraham Heschel wrote, “I did not ask for success, I asked for wonder.” (I Asked for Wonder: A Spiritual Anthology.)
Sure, there are other truths.
Murder is wrong.
Hatred is wrong.
Abuse is wrong.
A child’s laughter is magical.
Music is transcendent.
Kindness is always a good idea.
There are, however, deeper truths behind these statements that can only be explored when we ask why.
For me, truth isn’t a notch on my belt, a bumper sticker on my car, a book on my shelf, or the place where I worship.
Truth is:
Prayer.
Trust.
Faith.
Hope.
Grace.
Spirit.
Love.
God.
If you try and make truth absolute, pin it down to dogmas and doctrines and pen and paper, you will forever be frustrated and cornered into a stubborn faith that comes up against what it isn’t, more often than it celebrates what it is.
But if you follow the Spirit? Wherever he would call you? Into all truth?
I think you might find wonder.
I think you’ll find God.
How does truth unfold for you? Leave us a comment below.
Go to Part 5 – Answers in Concrete »
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