What is truth?

One of the benchmarks of today's postmodern/post-Christian culture is the idea of "all truth is relative." In a spiritual light, it's OK to say that all roads lead to heaven, but as soon as you claim to have the only way, then the gloves come off and it's a heavy weight fight. Admittedly, this idea of moral relativism did get shaken quite a bit five years ago when a bunch of people from the Middle East flew planes into our buildings in the name of their truth. Suddenly, people in America were forced to deal with that some "truth" just isn't right, and maybe all roads don't lead to heaven.

One of my favorite movie scenes is from A Few Good Men when Tom Cruise had Jack Nicholson on the witness stand in the courtroom and demanded the truth from him. Jack comes forcefully back with the line: "Truth? You want truth? You can't handle the truth!" People do have a difficult time when it comes to facing the truth...whether it's the truth about themselves, the truth about the state of our world, or the truth about Jesus. And I believe this difficulty comes from the fact that when you are faced with truth, it demands change on your part...a change in how your think, live, believe, relate, work...whatever...truth demands change.

Jesus had a conversation with Pontius Pilate in John 18 during his trials before he was crucified. Jesus proclaims that He is in fact a King, and everyone who is on the side of truth listens to him. Upon hearing that, Pilate says "What is truth?" So really, this question of truth isn't simply a "postmodern" condition...it's a question that has been asked and sought after for ages.

As a Christ-follower, I believe that there is an absolute truth. There is a Source for all that we know, see, experience, and feel. And since there is a Source for everything, there is a specific order and specific pathway that has been set up by the Source for us human beings to know the Source.

This Source that I speak of is the Eternal God. And God has specifically revealed himself (note: not proven himself...God does not have to "prove" anything; that's why he's God) in two ways: 1) through is Word, the Bible; and 2) through His incarnation in the person of Jesus Christ.

Through the Bible, we are able to find truth...truth about God and life and how our life can be lived as it was intended by God's design. We can search the lives of those who have gone before us to find strength and comfort. It is our roadmap, our instruction book, our recovery guide, our true north for living.

Through the person of Jesus Christ, we are able to find Someone who lived a life as God intended. We find that Jesus experienced everything we do from joys to sorrows, to being misuderstood and rejected. Jesus provides for us a model to pattern ourselves after. Jesus is God-in-the-flesh, the prototype of a Spirit-filled & led life, totally surrendered to the will of God.

We can't argue that there aren't basic rights and wrongs...we all know there are. So, in a sense, we do all know that there is truth. It's my desire that people begin engage the truth with the minds, their hears, and in their living. And this truth is ultimately found through God's Word and in the Person of Jesus Christ.