What is truth?
“The first casualty when war comes is truth.”
Hiram Johnson (probably, see Wikipedia)
These days, when I read or listen to the news, open Facebook, and look at pictures or videos on the Internet, I often ask myself the questions: what of this is true? What is really real? What is fake? Fakenews is such a trendy word. Especially in the corona pandemic, there are many statements circulating on all kinds of topics. Sometimes I have the feeling that our governments are not always honest either….
I have a hard time discerning what is really true about many things in the meantime. Without time-consuming research it seems to be impossible to find out what is really true. And I do not have this time.
In other matters, I ask myself the question: “Is it still allowed” to tell the truth at all in some situations, on some topics, without a shitstorm breaking out right away, without people beating you up just because they don’t want to hear unpleasant things. Or because it does not correspond to the majority opinion. Or because it is not “in”.
Many people pretend – they put up a facade, play roles. At work they are the good worker who is friendly to everyone, at home they beat their wives. Some single women say they are happy the way things are, but in the evening alone in bed they cry. What effort do we not make to be someone we are not in front of others. I don’t know how much in the profiles in the social media is real and what is not. Also some Christians are the very good ones, talk “holy” and at home they despise their wife or husband – a pious facade.
What lies and deception there are in the world! A little white lie here and there does not hurt?!? Or to the tax return. Or to the spouse. Or in the business world – company figures can always be beautifully tricked. Or some statistics – you can’t always trust them. Works of art are faked and sold as real at a high price, or in the Cairo zoo painted donkeys are said to have been used as zebras because there were none around, or Konrad Kujau is to be mentioned, who faked Hitler’s diaries, … just three examples.
Also the omission of unacceptable facts is not the truth or the evasion of some questions: “Do you think I’m too fat?” “You have such wonderful hair!” Sure, you have to be careful how you tell someone the truth and it takes tact. But do you really want to send a good friend running in the wrong direction instead of telling him the truth?
Some people don’t want to hear the truth when they are told it either. First of all, this reminds me of my little son, who tells someone with a chocolate-smeared face on his head that he is not dirty. And of “the emperor’s new clothes”, a fairy tale in which no one dares to tell the obvious truth (except for a small child). I’ve also heard the phrase, “That’s your truth”….
Some people lie to themselves. This often happens when there were traumatic experiences and it first protects one’s own soul from bad things. But this has to be worked up. But some people really live in a lie and tell themselves that their partner is not cheating on them, even though he had lipstick on his shirt collar again and smelled of that cheap perfume. You just don’t want to admit it… Or you want to learn an instrument and you don’t make it. You don’t have the talent, you don’t have the ear, but of course it’s not your fault, it’s the trumpet, the weather, Donald Trump and everything else. It’s not your own fault. This is just a striking example – I’m sure you can think of more.
Have you read “1984” by George Orwell? There is a special ministry, which always adjusts the truth according to the circumstances, so that “Big Brother” is always right. The few newspaper copies are rewritten, the old “wrong” copies are burned completely. One has a feeling that something is wrong, but one is not sure. There is no way to really verify it.
Why the world looks like this? Because it is fallen. God would have preferred it to be different, but has left man his free will. In addition, there is also the “father of lies”: The devil, who lies to us humans from front to back. And we do it to him – again and again at least – the same.
What is now REALLY true?
Now I have swaggered for a long time about truth and topics around it. I asked myself lately often: What can I still believe? Whom can I still trust? Especially in the media. I have come to the conclusion for me: It is very difficult and laborious to search for the truth. But I know one thing: There is an unshakable truth and we find it with God. That is what reassures me.
For the word of the LORD is true, and what he promises he surely keeps.
Psalm 33,4
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth and the life; no one comes to the Father except through me.
John 14,6
God is the truth, His Son is the truth, and that is good. To me that means I can rely on the Bible 100%. This is not Fakenews but Good News! This reassures me and I can build my life on it. There are no back doors, no fine print. God tells it like it is. Sometimes it may hurt, but it helps to mature and grow. I wish you that you can also hold on to this truth! Before God you do not need to pretend, you can be as you are! You are a wonderful, beloved person in his eyes!
I wish you God’s blessing!
