By Ron Faust
Truth can be ambiguous. Sometimes it appears on the surface of what seems real to our senses. Other times it is deeper, hidden in the essence of things, bouncing around in the opposite of the majority position.
On Sept. 26, when the Senate Judiciary Committee was taking testimony concerning Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh, truth became ambiguous and divided the country behind “she said” and “he said,” yet the side that seemed more truthful was unassuming, in quiet, plain repose, in contrast to a loud, boastful defense.
We predominantly live in a two-party system that shapes conservative or liberal thinking. That’s where we find our truth. The other piece of it is that we enlarge our truth by dismantling and re-examining what we once thought was true and accepting a deeper understanding of truth, often the opposite of where we were.
Discerning the truth requires picking up subtle clues of what is “really real,” measuring temperament and the honesty of minority positions. What we are looking for is what is authentic. “The truth will set us free” from living out a lie and avoiding hypocritical posturing.
The truth of facts needs to be verified. Truth may also come intuitively. Sometimes it changes according to the context. Truth can also be decided by emotion and bias. Fear or love makes up the truth for many people, but who is picking up the signs of what is really truthful? The questions are still around: How do we know the truth and when will we be set free?
Take, for example, the Industrial-Military Complex. Many believe that sinking huge amounts of money into weapons will make us safe. That’s their truth, backed up by the government. Others have reason to believe that adding more nuclear, radioactive weapons makes us unsafe.
Which side? War or Peace? Fear or Love? Inertia or Progress? Destruction or Life?
PeaceWorks-KC has already leaned a certain way. Which will set you free?
—Ron Faust, a retired Disciples of Christ minister, serves on the PeaceWorks-KC Board of Directors.
