I’m convinced that the world is designed in such a way that truth is at the epicenter of all life and being.

Truth IS beauty.

Truth is strange because it is something that can be apprehended by all people, but no single person can possess all of it.  Truth and all that can be known is  vast and discoverable; it drives scientists, explorers, researchers, artists, the hungry and the curious. We are always inspired by those who follow after truth and we are always disappointed and hurt by those who disregard it.

Truth is the basis of all life.

Truth is such that whenever we apprehend and apply even the smallest amount of it into our lives, there is ALWAYS a corresponding benefit and increase in human thriving. This is the case for learning to ride a tricycle or whether we are solving world peace.

Conversely, whenever we suppress, ignore, or fail to apply it there is also a corresponding loss, pain or decrease in human thriving, and increase in human captivity. Ignore the truth and not only will your drywall job look like crap, but lies and corruption will flourish to the pain and suffering of others.

This is because truth has within it an ethical obligation to obey it. Sure, we are free to believe 2 + 2 = 5, but it is foolish to do so and every thing we build will not have a square corner, all of our life’s measurements will never add up. The further we walk through life in rejection of it, the more wrong our calculations become.

Nearly every problem in the world is ultimately a truth problem; it’s either something we don’t know, or it is something we won’t do. Feel free to test it.

Thus all the worlds problems can be corrected and improved so long as people are striving to move into conformity to the truth. This makes truth personal. We all have some sort of personal relationship to it. Some oblivious, others intentional, each is unique. But each of us is obligated.

This means that every person who is a student, a learner, a seeker, yes a disciple, is someone who humbly accepts they do not possess all the truth, but they are hungry for more so they can apply it to their life and watch their families, communities, and the world benefit.

Following Jesus means we seek truth and we desire to know it and be transformed by it. Isn’t it then understandable that the scientist would find satisfaction by following the truth of discovery in the sciences, while the theologian finds satisfaction by following the truth in the discovery of faith. The same is true for every possible sphere of learning, expertise, tradition, or passion. It isn’t that one is true and the other is not. It is that both have truth, but neither possess all that is true. In time they will come together as we know more.

The beauty of the gospel (good news) message to the world is not that we will all somehow morph into the impotent, culturally contrived, modern day evangelical church person who hates democrats, rock music and the city. No its beauty is that no single person has all truth, but we all humbly require each other to reflect the truth we’ve been lucky enough to possess. And as we serve each other by giving it away (being conduits of truth) all of us benefit.

And it’s so exciting to watch the progress that we are making. It really validates the ancient teaching that truth would be rolled out, line upon line, precept upon precept, here a little, there a little, until one day every sad thing becomes untrue.

Now that is beautiful. It’s absolutely irresistible. Unless of course you desire to suppress it.