Truth
Growing up, I was always taught that Cinco De Mayo was Mexico’s Independence Day. Turns out, that is the 16th of September. May 5th commemorates the battle of Puebla in 1862, which was fought against the French because Mexico was delinquent on their debt. Being the major underdog, Mexico came out victorious. What’s interesting is that Cinco De Mayo is a relatively small holiday in Mexico. My guess is that it’s a bigger deal in the United States because we often think it’s Mexico’s Independence Day. To be honest, it might also have to do with needing an excuse to enjoy a margarita.
Many different people taught me this false information about Cinco De Mayo. These adults were well-intended, but misinformed. The problem with truth is that we can never quite be sure when we’ve found it. Truth is something that we are always trying to access, but can never fully understand. Trying to obtain truth is a life-long quest. For example, this is why the theory of gravity is technically a theory. While all scientists consider it to be fact, they are slightly leaving the door open for further discovery. Imbedded in this idea is the notion that we will never know the fullest extent of truth, we can only step further or closer.
In this age, with so many opinions and media biases, it can be extremely confusing to know the truth. Remember, although there is only one truth, we lack full access to it. Up until recently, I thought that Cinco De Mayo was Mexico’s Independent Day. I believed this so confidently that it may as well have been true. Thankfully, believing this about Cinco De Mayo had little consequences and didn’t harm anyone. But what if we replaced this myth with something that did have major implications?
Seeking the truth about God is an important and noble quest. It’s even better to desire a relationship with the God who possesses that truth. But as Christians, we are not called to be stubbornly arrogant in our belief. When we dig-in our heels, and become entrenched in our beliefs, we tend to tune out new information and experiences that might broaden our understanding. If we cling too tightly to our truth, we tend to belittle the truth of others. It’s likely that other people have a vastly different lived experienced than we do. Generally speaking, it’s usually the most self-assured person that is furthest away from God’s honest truth.
Maybe one day we will know the real truth. In heaven, we may see the fullness of God… I hope so. But for now, we have to live together. Our beliefs are important, but they are nowhere near as important as how we love and treat others. Detrich Bonhoeffer summed it up this way, “Ignorance is a more dangerous enemy of good than evil.” The truth is, we don’t know the truth. We do not follow Christ because it is “correct.” We follow Christ because the story of Jesus’ life, death, and Resurrection fills us with hope and purpose.
One step closer,
Pr. Lucas McSurley
