What Is Truth? Is It Just About Facts?

A Letter To Ron:

Earlier you mentioned that you keep running into that guy in the wheelchair, and that you can’t understand why in spite of his infirmity, he still has this unexplainable joy. I know you are going through some scary and difficult times. And that it’s hard for you to believe you can have joy amidst these circumstances. But this is a lie. And through the guy in the wheelchair, God is showing you living proof that the truth transcends your circumstances.

Yes, our joy depends far less on “the facts” and far more on our perspective.

The blog below is about Truth. Jesus never says that facts are truth. Rather, Jesus Himself says “I Am the truth. I am the way I am the life.”

Why would Jesus say such a thing? Aren’t facts and the truth the same? Should we be blind to the facts, with no regard to if something is true or false? The answer to this is a resounding NO. Facts matter. But perspective matters even more! Without perspective, there is no truth in simply knowing the data.

The reason is that the facts can always be weighed differently. Think about our judicial system. Often two judges can reach opposite conclusions even when they apply the same law to the same set of circumstances! This is also true with the slant we see in news articles or in political debates. It’s foolish to think this is all about one side lying while the other side is telling the truth. It goes way beyond that!

If facts are truth, why is it that honest people with the same facts can reach the opposite conclusions? The answer is it’s all about their perspective. Our perspective is how we filter the facts. It’s how we determine which facts are more important than others.

People with different perspectives are bound to weigh the facts differently. This is why we care so much if a lawyer, judge, or politician has a hidden conflict of interest. We care even when the conflict is subtle or the bias is something they don’t even know they have!

We recognize that it’s not just the facts that matter, but how we weigh them. And we fear that bias or conflicts of interest will cause people to weigh the same facts differently. And that when this happens, we can be deceived even when all the facts are before us!

You don’t have to be a Christian to know that fact aren’t truth. Even the ardent, die hard atheist knows deep down, that truth is far more than a set of circumstances. Why else would they even care about “the power of positive thinking?” The answer is that facts are never enough to explain our reality. They too know that the truth comes from our perspective of the facts.

So What Is Truth? What Is Our Perspective?
As Jesus says: the Truth is about a person. Yes, Jesus Himself is the truth. This may sound overly mystical. But it isn’t. I think it’s best understood through His parables. You may ask: Why did Jesus even speak in parables? I believe that one reason was to give us a true perspective. You may have noticed that almost all of His parables were about relationships. Whether with God or with man.

Jesus was telling us that our circumstances by themselves mean very little, unless these are grounded in the greater truth of a relationship with Him. Only in the context of a personal relationship will these facts have their true meaning.

Think about the story of the prodigal son. There was the loving father, the wayward son, and the legalistic harsh older brother who was angry that the son was forgiven. There was a set of facts that involved each of these characters.

But Jesus knew that the facts alone could be twisted. So He told them in a story. And in this story every fact about every character was wrapped up in the overarching perspective of the Father’s all encompassing love.

We know that if this was just about facts, then the over zealous pharisees, Protestants, Pentecostals and Catholics, could use it to say anything they want. For example: “This is a story about a foolish wayward son.” Or “This is a story about a harsh unforgiving brother.” But in truth, this is a story of both. All of which is wrapped up in the perspective of God’s love for both. In reality, none of this can be understood without the overarching perspective of the person-hood of God.

This parable shows how our God reaches out to both the drug addict and the pharisee. Whether you’re the overachiever or the ne’er-do-well, our Jesus willingly sweeps you into His arms. This is why Jesus says He is the way, the truth and the life. Jesus has given us perspective. We must always filter our circumstances in the context of His person-hood, His promises and what He has already done for us and others in our life. Any other perspective is a LIE.

Jesus says He will never forsake us. Jesus says that even a little faith in Him can move mountains. Jesus is our way maker. Jesus is our healer. Jesus is our Lord, our God, our Savior and our friend.

Jesus is the one who comforts us. He is the one who provides for us. He is the one who always has our back. Jesus not only loves us. Jesus actually likes us. This is Truth with a capital T. Jesus heals broken marriages. Jesus makes deviants like you and me into saints. It is Jesus that uses us to write straight with crooked lines. He uses our suffering not just to perfect us. But also to allow us to comfort others with the comfort that He Himself has given us.

This is Truth. He is Truth. And so when you are assaulted with “facts” that say life is not worth living. Or that you have no value or no purposes, REMEMBER THE TRUTH. And take to heart that the Truth is a Person. That person is Jesus. And Jesus has your back.

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