Truth

The disgraced 7-time Tour de France champion Lance Armstrong tells the interviewer in the 30 for 30 Film “Lance” that he is going to “tell you my truth.” Armstrong’s penchant for lying about his doping in the past removes any surprise that his “truth” diverges from that of other people filmed for the documentary. However, his choice of referring to his recounting of the past as “truth” rather than “testimony” is a notable example of a popular expansion of the understanding of the nature of truth. More specifically, it relativizes the truth, a concept that heretofore has historically held a more objective status

Understanding the nature of truth is essential for navigating one’s way in the world. Sharing a mutual understanding of the truth makes it possible to manage differences and come to agreement with those who have different opinions and beliefs. It is crucial that we recover a classical understanding of truth rather than allow it to be used synonymously with subjective expression. The best way to appreciate the value of having a firm, objective understanding of truth is to revisit time-honored understandings of it with examples that violate them, illustrating what is at stake

The correspondence theory of truth asserts that the truth matches reality. It is like a puzzle piece that fits with what is real. The claim “church attendance is 47 today” is true if there are in fact 47 people present at church today. Donald Trump has claimed on seven occasions dating back to 2016 that he has won Michigan’s “man of the year” award. This claim would be true if in fact he had been awarded this honor. However, there is no evidence that he won this award or that there is such an award that exists. Recovering the correspondence theory of truth helps debunk false claims including the Trump “man of the year” example because it allows us to establish whether or not something took place. This theory is an arbiter of what is real and what is false.

The coherence theory of truth asserts that the truth fits with other things we know to be true. This understanding of truth can be compared to a puzzle piece that fits in its proper place in relation to the other pieces in the puzzle. An example of the coherence theory of truth is the statement "The henhouse is secure." This claim would be true if it fits with our understanding of secureness. We would expect the hens to be locked inside the henhouse as well as predators like foxes being unable to get inside. A political example is Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas of the Biden Administration stating multiple times in 2021 that "The border is closed; the border is secure" in spite of the fact that thousands of people were crossing the southern border illegally each month. The statement does not fit with the restrictive nature of borders and is therefore an untrue claim. Sadly, there is no shortage of people attempting to deceive us by distorting the truth. We must have a firm grasp of the nature of truth if we are to avoid being misled and to be able to hold our leaders accountable. Being a person of truth honors the LORD who is a God who forbids lying and whose son Jesus says in John 14:6 that He is "the way, the truth, and the life." This usage of the truth in John indicates that Jesus is reliable and can be trusted. May we reflect the truth-telling nature of our God by having our statements fit reality and other things that are actually true.

Living Simply

A person cannot be passive and get in shape. Getting in shape does not happen to someone, but rather requires being active. It is necessary to improve one’s diet and manage portion sizes. Furthermore, one must consider what kind of shape one wants to get in. Lifting weights will shape and tone the body, but not develop cardiovascular fitness. Like so many other pursuits in life, having a plan and committing to it is the path to getting in shape. And yet I have found Christians can be surprisingly passive when it comes to getting in spiritual shape.

While there is an intuitive awareness that sacrifices must be made to achieve a worthy goal, this recognition is not predictive in forecasting whether believers will create a plan to grow in Christ. I wager most people would not be able to articulate their plan to become spiritually mature because they do not actually have one. Those who attend church often have healthy spiritual habits but lack an integrated plan. While there are a plethora of approaches, a wise, simple option is to choose a few spiritual disciplines to practice.

A spiritual discipline is a practice Christians participate in to become spiritually mature. Familiar examples of spiritual disciplines include prayer, public worship, fasting, and studying/meditating on the Scriptures. Less obvious examples include taking a time of solitude, seeking guidance from a mature believer, and confession. Through the ages the Lord has often responded to these disciplines by molding believers into greater Christlikeness. Both the Lord and the practitioner have a part to play.

Living a life of simplicity is a rare, but timely spiritual discipline--an antidote to chaotic modern life. Like all spiritual disciplines, changing one’s life to incorporate the regular practice of the discipline produces more fruit than a half-hearted commitment level. However, practicing simplicity is a way of life rather than a component of how one lives. We have more options today than ever before due to unparalleled economic development. There are scores of different styles and shades of jeans in department stores and countless flavors and brands of ice cream in our local grocery store. There are millions of videos just a click away on YouTube. More options complicate our lives. How on earth do we choose the best from the available choices? How will we find the time to even answer the question? Living a simple life is an acknowledgment that one cannot have it all. It is a recognition that less is more, a path to freedom rather than paralysis. An essential element of simplicity is reduction. Instead of adding more, simplicity subtracts by reducing entanglements, minimizing material possessions, limiting exposure to the seemingly ubiquitous “noise” in a hyper-technological society, and practicing responsible stewardship.

A few examples of simplifying can help provide the contours of what the discipline of simplicity may look like:

• Decluttering by donating clothes and books that are no longer needed.

• Turning off email and app notifications that are regular distractions.

• Taking a day of rest.

• Refusing to overcommit in order to have a less hectic schedule

• Learning to say “no” to requests that do not fit with your values and priorities

Even a hasty moment of reflection will reveal the counter-cultural nature of simplicity. Though seldom practiced, simplicity paradoxically leads to more abundant living than giving in to our rapacious appetites for more. Simplicity can go a long way in getting us in spiritual shape. Are you ready to commit?

A Calling

Where to Now? Adulthood does not start until the road diverges. Life moves children along a fixed path from elementary through high school. That path continues directly to at least some college for most Americans. What happens when it ends? Where does one go and what does one do then? One of the best ways to navigate a sea of seemingly unlimited options is having a sense of calling or purpose.

The Apostle Paul knew who he was and the life he was called to. In Romans 1:1, we read that Paul saw himself as a slave of Jesus and His envoy tasked with proclaiming the exciting news about the Lordship of Christ. This clarity gave him purpose and served as the driving force in his life.

Anyone familiar with Christian doctrine would primarily think of Jesus’ mission as dying to take away the sins of those who put their trust in Him. However, His atoning death did not exhaust His calling. When we examine Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness and reckon with the context of the verses from Deuteronomy 6 and 8 that He references in his rebuttals to the Tempter, we discover Jesus saw Himself as reliving His people’s wilderness experience recorded in Exodus. However, where Israel succumbed to temptation, He did not and thereby carried forward their holy calling of representing their Lord faithfully. His faithfulness to this aspect of His calling was so complete that we can learn what our creator is like by studying Jesus.

Jesus and Paul had remarkable callings—missions that are both unique in importance and enduring influence. What about us? Few would hope to have so high a calling but would gladly settle for some kind of clear direction from the Lord. Churchgoers have heard countless sermons regarding our calling to live for Christ, but may struggle to translate how that calling should play out within our daily living. The lack of clarity may leave us a bit listless and struggling to find purpose. What can we do if we are not sure of our calling?

First, don’t overthink it. Pray and see where your talents and interests converge with a need you sense the Lord wants met.

Second, don’t be intimidated by the weightiness of the concept of a calling. Sure, it’s heavy but don’t lose time thinking you have to be completely convinced you have heard from the Lord or wonder if you are ready to embark on the journey. The Christian life is a life of faith in which we move forward based on the information we have at hand rather than having all our questions answered.

Third, a calling does not have to include your vocation, but can be something you do outside of it. Some Christians don’t have the luxury of combining the two.

Finally, your calling may evolve. Don’t worry about how long the convergence of what you can do and the need you are seeking to meet will last. The chapters of our lives are seldom the same length. It is common to change jobs as well as careers. Jesus’ public ministry lasted three years. Most of His life was spent as a carpenter. I am confident He was just as faithful as a carpenter as He was being the Savior of the world. You can be too in each mile of the journey.