“But the voice of truth tells me a different story
The Voice of Truth says “Do not be afraid!”
And the Voice of Truth says “this is for my glory”
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth”
Voice of Truth by Casting Crowns.
The idea for this post was a result of a conversation I had with a fellow nurse and resident. The conclusion of the conversation was that basically all religions are similar, they all had the same basic tenants and morality. This idea of course is nothing new, in our post-modern world this idea of truth, of right and wrong has become obsolete. Truth has been reduced to mere opinion or speculation. What is right for me, may not be right for you and that’s okay. To be tolerant and inclusive, any claim to truth is seen as arrogant and divisive. Yet by claiming there is no truth you have created an absolute and logically have broken your own claim. Instead of paving the way to freedom – by denying the truth it has paved the way to chaos and destruction.
Let’s elucidate on this a bit more -as Pontus Pilate so rhetorically ask Jesus after Jesus claims to be a witness to the truth – “What is truth?” (John 18:37-38). This is the same question that many of us ask today. “What is truth?” How do we discover it: do we determine the truth by what we can observe and measure i.e., the scientific method? This merely reduces truth to the materialistic world. It denies the spiritual, emotional and mental aspects of our world. This is the world of Darwin, and Nietzsche, it fuels the ideologies of Nazism, Communism and Fascism. We have seen the outworks of these throughout the 20th and 21st century. It reduces humans to mere potential and productivity. Thus, if someone can’t contribute then they are a burden and are expendable. It also fuels the ideologies of capitalism. The main goal in life is to produce, sell, and become wealthy. This is the driving force of the American Dream -in the most reductionist sense. But because of art, music, beauty, and religion-we see that there is so much more to humans. Now I’m not saying that the scientific method should be rejected. It has its place, it’s useful in the areas of science, of exploring the natural world. But we can’t use it in the areas of morality, philosophy, or religion. Humans are both materialistic and spiritual, you can’t reduce humans to one or the other without atrocities happening.
What is truth? In the philosophical realm this is a vast and deep topic. Just do a search and you will quickly see it. Truth (Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy) has divided the topic into six sections- exploring the different approaches to truth. Then there is the Greek approach from Plato to Aristotle. The eastern approach from Buddha to Confucius. We already mention the scientific community, there is also the ethics and morality community, and of course the religious community. See many voices. All claiming to have the truth, all clamoring for your attention – not to mention the news, and social media. With the invention of the internet, it has now opened the door to many more voices. How then, amid all this noise, are we to discern the truth?
This reminds me of a children’s story I heard growing up. It was “The Song of the King” by Max Lucado. It is about three knights and their journey through the forest of “Hopenots” to win the hand of the princess. The king said he would play a song on his flute. He would then play it each morning and evening while the knights were away. This was to guide them through the dangerous forest. They were also allowed to bring one person with them to help them on their way. The first knight was known for his strength, the second his speed, and the third for his wisdom. Each man chose their companion and began their journey – after many days only one knight returned. It was not who they expected. The one who made it through was Cassidon the wise one. He recounted his harrowing adventure telling of the Hopenots strength and treachery. But he said that was not the most challenging part. It was that every time the King played his song, they would imitate the song. Thus, it was nigh impossible to figure out which way to go. There is no amount of strength, or speed that can withstand that. “How then did you make it through?” They breathlessly inquired. He answered simply “because of my companion.” With those words his companion entered the banquet hall and removed his robe, revealing his face. The crowd gasped it was the prince and, in his hand, he carried the flute. See in the beginning the prince had explained that there were only two flutes, the king had one and he had the other. So Cassidon asked the prince to be his companion and to play the flute regularly. Thus, when the Hopenots began their imitation, he could hear the true flute play. Because of this he was able to find his way home and win the hand of the fair princess.
This story perfectly illustrates the truth. We have been given the truth through the Word of God. The more we spend time reading, mediating, and praying the more we will be able to discern truth around us. We will be able to weed out all the imitating voices. We know this because of the person of Jesus. Remember Jesus told Pilate that he bears witness to the truth. What Jesus is claiming is that He is the truth. In John 8:31-38 Jesus is talking to the Jews who believed in Him, He tells them that if they believe in His words, the truth will set them free. They are perplexed by this, because they are the children of Abraham, they have never been enslaved by anyone! But Jesus isn’t talking about external freedom, but internal, namely freedom from sin. This is the truth that we all desperately need to hear and cling to. That there is something deeply wrong with each one of us. And no matter how hard you try you cannot make it right. Which is why we need a Savior, we need someone to free us from our addictions, our anxiety, our self-destructive tendencies, we need to be free from our emotions and intellect. This can only happen when we abdicate ourselves, and place Jesus on the throne. It is only then we can understand why we are here, what our purpose is, and what our calling is. What is truth? It’s more than just a definition, or a philosophy, it’s a person. Jesus. Jesus is the truth, the way and the life. By reading God’s Word, by filling our minds with the words and actions of Christ. We can know the truth. This will then guide and help us in our everyday lives. This is what “The voice of truth” is talking about, when doubts come, when we face different philosophies, when we hear differing opinions, when we receive outright rejection. The Voice of Truth will guide us through it all. He is our anchor in the chaotic ways of life. The more we search after Christ, the stronger our foundation will be. Take heart and read His Word.
Deeper Joy 