Love is Truth

"What is truth?" retorted Pilate. John 18:38

When it comes to this world, the Internet, political and social division, etc, etc I am not sure I know what is "the truth" anymore.

For every single issue you can find an article with an expert who knows "the truth" and I believe it. I mean this person is an expert and they are citing official documents.

Then I find someone on the other side of the issue.

In fact, it happens on almost a daily basis, and sometimes hourly.

I feel that I am educated and up on what is going on at any given moment, but even I wonder if I know what truth is anymore.

And there are so many people who are so secure in "the truth" and are unwilling to even listen to an opposing viewpoint. And if they do, they're quick to point out why you're wrong because they have data, they know the intent, they are smarter than you, you're the one being misled.

We have in our pockets the history of the known world and every detail and opinion ever written, it seems, yet we continue to become less..."smart". 

Me included.

Social media is so powerful in allowing us to keep up with friends from way back, for sharing out thoughts, and possibly becoming more informed and making money from it.

But it also allows a platform for the uneducated and even the good intentioned to be wrong, ridiculed and "canceled".

What is truth?

I'm not sure anymore other than what I can see.

Truth is the love I have for my wife and kids, and how I feel about my co-workers and students.

Truth is the feeling I have towards real people who interact in my real life.

And truth is my faith in Jesus Christ.

And even that truth has more denominations and interpretations that I care to write about here.

It's sad and depressing, yet I have hope.

My hope is in Jesus, not in a person, not in a self-help book, not in a philosophy, not in a politician, but in Jesus.

The rest of you people can argue about what you want, but if I'm going to be wrong, I'm going to try to love as Jesus said to do.

What's Wrong With Us?

We all need Jesus!

No kidding, it would make for a much better world and some day, he's coming back, but until then what exactly is wrong with us?

The hostility, the division, the anger, the smirks, and rude behavior seems to surround us everywhere we go, even online...especially online.

I have a theory and I am sure many people will disagree, but I remember when social media started to take off in around 2008-2009...somewhere in there. People, especially younger people, would post their emotions online and if you confronted them face to face they got embarrassed and removed that post. It was because that was not who they really were, maybe it was, but it was not how they wanted to be seen in "public".

Somewhere along the line, people stopped being embarrassed by things they posted online and became defiant. "It's my page and I can post what I want, if you don't like it unfollow me" or something along these lines. It was a weird transition, but people started to remove the veil of being a "nice" person. I guess it made/makes us more authentic, it's who we really are or can be, but it is it good for society? It seems to be in everything we do from politics to mask wearing during a global pandemic for gosh sakes.

My point is that the hostility, division, anger, etc has now moved from online into the real world. We've forgotten how to act with decency, even if it were a phony decency, but it seemed we got along better.

Who knows?

Maybe I am just aging and wishing life were like the "good old days" before the Internet, social media and cars (just kidding), or have we descended into an abyss that cannot be fought out of, but fought inside and that does not help anything.

It just rewards the meanest, best fighter...for the moment until someone meaner and better comes along.