The Truth of the Matter

It is election time in the UK. The Scottish parliament elections for a new group of MSPs and the in/out EU Referendum are constantly in our media streams, and if I hear the words “The truth of the matter is…”, I will not be responsible for my actions. Whose truth? These words are spoken with passion and conviction by all sides, and about the self same question or situation. No wonder we are confused and switched off.

Politicians are famous for doing it, but we do too. Truth is bandied about like a shuttlecock in a badminton game. It becomes a tool to be used to make a point, and the meaning of the word is completely lost on us. So how can we know what the truth is? I suppose the truth, or part of it, is hidden in among the arguments used but it is disguised by the lies and half truths that surround it, so where to turn? We have some serious decisions to make, but we are left to our own devices on what to do. We certainly can’t trust any of the politicians. None!

But is the truth a ‘what’, or a ‘thought’ to be figured out? I don’t believe so, but I am convinced the truth is not a ‘what’ but a ‘who’ in the form of a person who cannot lie or tell half truths, or even mislead to suit his own ends. Having said that we must be prepared to hear the truth, and recognise it as such. Jesus tells us directly in John 14:6,  “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” So, the next time you hear a politician, or anyone else for that matter, say the words, “The truth of the matter is…” don’t ask where the information came from, ask yourself if they are the kind of person who is close enough to Jesus to know that truth for themselves? Then and only then will you and I have the truth to the question being asked and answered!

Opinions

We all have opinions, probably based and formed over many years in the furnace of life, and so they can become hardened, like any metal in the blacksmith’s hands as he forms red hot material and plunges the finished item into the cooling water. The metal is hardened, and I feel that is a good place to start with our opinions. They can become hardened.

I quite like open discussions, whether in person or online. Done properly, and with others who are open minded, it can be an informative and learning experience. The trouble is, we soon find that we are not all as open minded as we think we are. I know this will come as a surprise, but that includes me. Don’t you love it when the ‘open minded’ one suddenly shows clearly some of the ‘hardened’ characteristics which have been formed over the years? Then the line between ‘opinion’ and ‘fact’ becomes hazy and blurred.

Opinions are expressed everywhere, by everyone, and often. It will be in family circumstances, age, politics, and yes, even in faith circles. We all seem to get the lines blurry between where our opinion ends and truth starts, because we are passionate. Passion does not mean truth. Passion can be an opinion. I think this is where we get into trouble when we discuss our own firm beliefs with other people’s firm beliefs, and within the church family where ‘our’ opinion must be true because we have always done it this way. It worked in the past, so it must be truth! NO!! Truth is not an opinion, it is a person in the form of Jesus Christ, and His Word. So next time you and I have a strong, and possibly differing opinion, let’s measure them up against the only yardstick we can trust, and only then can we have some certainty that it can be trusted as dependable fact! I hope we can agree on that.

Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’. John 14:6 and ‘Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.’ John 17:17