Where to Find Truth
Tuesday's mid-term election has me pondering a multiplicity of political postulations. These are some of my questions:
Is it possible to write about politics without being political?
Is there any way we Americans can survive another presidential election cycle?
Is there any media/news source that can be trusted?
Are there certain political issues that every true, devoted follower of Christ should agree on?
How in the world is anyone supposed to actually know which judges to vote for?
In commercial after commercial we are told how bad all the candidates are. News source after news source reports the good of the candidate they support and evil of the candidate they are threatened by.
Unadulterated truth is hard to come by these days. It seems we either receive blatant untruth or a version of truth that is so doctored up that there is hardly any truth left at all. And now, with trolls and bots taking advantage of our social media feeds, there is yet another level of misdirection and deception going on.
I think these lyrics ring out loud and clear of today’s political/news situation:
"Begging the question, mongering fears,
stroking the eyes, and tickling ears
The truth is seldom just as it appears
when we're selling the news
The lines start to blur; I get so confused.
The facts are simply one option to choose
When nothing is sacred, all is consumed
when we’re selling the news
Just sit in your chair and listen to the ruse
cleverly crafted just for you
'Cause if we're still on the air, it must be the truth
when we’re selling the news"
—Adapted from a song by Jon Foreman
So, what is the solution for those of us who believe there is absolute truth, and that those who know it find absolute freedom? The good news is about the Holy Spirit.
I am so unbelievably grateful that we who are in Christ Jesus have the Spirit of God living in us. Jesus told us the Spirit of God’s job is to lead us into all truth. This does not mean that every Christ follower gets it right every time, but it does mean that we can. God’s Spirit is the spirit of truth and He leads us into all truth.
Take some time today to write out the questions you have deep in your soul. Lay this world’s fervent postulations before your Heavenly Father and His faithful word. Then, be still and listen to what the Spirit of God brings to mind. And, as always, please pray that our state and federal leaders would hear, know, or discern truth from God’s Holy Spirit as well.
David