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Not Just Pastors


           Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor, for we are all members of one body. (Ephesians 4:25)

           For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12)

           Pastors aren’t the only ones who are expected to tell the truth. So, let’s try to get to the heart of the matter. What is truth? According to most of the philosophers I’ve read, truth is what corresponds to reality. So, what is reality? It is that which actually is, as opposed to an idealistic or notional (exiting only in the mind) idea of them. If it’s not a circular definition, it’s close.
           There are some people who will claim that, based on those definitions, truth and reality are only those things that are observed or observable, the experienced or the experimental (meaning that it can be experienced repeatedly under controlled circumstances.) Of course, the problem with that is that the expect what they have observed or experienced to be the standard. Of course, if they experience something they claim isn’t possible, they’ll say that they have lost their minds rather than admit that truth and reality aren’t what they have believed, because their “truth” and their “reality” are notional.
          The other end of the spectrum is just as bad. There are those who claim that because they believe something, it becomes reality. If you identify as a(n) _______, you are a(n) ________. At least, within some limits. I have yet to gain access to the Gates bank accounts by identifying as a Gates.
           It’s at this end that we have another difficulty, the whole area of opinion. This is the realm of the “Does this dress make me look fat?” mess.
         Truth is a double-edged sword. It’s not meant to make us happy, at least not in the sense that what makes us happy is true. It is meant to make us happy in the sense that if we are functioning with reality instead of against it, we are more likely to be happy The first steps in telling the truth to others are to seek out the truth, value it, and tell it to ourselves. For Christians, the best place to begin your search is with the Bible.

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