What is truth?
It’s an age-old question that’s woven its way throughout human history. It is a question every worldview, belief system, and philosophy.
Thousands of volumes have written over the millennia, and believe me, I am in not going to claim I have the final say in the matter. Nowhere near.
This deep and contemplative question was asked by Pontius Pilate (John 18:38), ironically when he had the very definition of truth standing before him (14:6).
So when Jesus emphatically states that he is “the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me,” what exactly does he mean?
Primarily in the West, we define “facts” as “truth.” Facts indeed can be “true,” but is that necessarily synonymous with “Truth” (capital T)?
No.
Years ago, while researching my master’s thesis, I came across an interesting quote. Honestly, I am having trouble recalling it verbatim, or who said it, but it went something like this: lies can be told with facts; truth can be found in fiction.”
In other words, facts are not all they’ve claimed to be. They can actually be used to deceive.
For example, during the 2024 election, many thought (as I do) that “fact-checkers” were really full of crap. My suspicion as to their agenda first arose when they often fact-checked the Babylon Bee (not The Onion, by the way). During the debates the media couldn’t help themselves to fact-check Trump and Vance while allowing Harris and Walz to utter false claims unchecked.
My problem with the media is they play loose with the facts. They might put forth one fact which is true, while intentionally omitting another fact which negates the truth by not telling the full story. For example, under Biden, both the president and VP traveled to El Paso, Texas, after accusations of ignoring the problem. The press gushed about showing their care and being on top of the problem.
The facts they omitted were: 1) El Paso scrubbed the presidential route through town, scrubbing the sidewalks and clearing out the homeless, and 2) avoiding other towns deeply affected by illegal immigration such as Eagle Pass.
This was only one example.
A new attempt from the left is coming in the claim: “each side has their own facts.”
Which kind of supports my claim: facts are not synonymous with Truth. When two facts contradict the other, one of those facts is wrong.
Now, can each side claim a fact which is true?
Yes.
Take today’s shutdown of USAID, an organization which distributes foreign aid. Can be a fact that some important funds are temporarily cut off? Yes. However, is there a lot of waste and corruption. ($2.5 million for DEI in Serbia? $47,000 to publish a trans book in Columbia? I am going out on a limb here, but I will call that waste.)
It is a fact that there is waste in that organization. It is a fact that there are other means within the government to distribute that money. It is also a fact that if the United States doesn’t get its waste and overspending under control, our economy will collapse and we will be no good to any one.
The left will respond with their set of facts. Either left or right, one has wrong or incomplete facts.
Back to my main point.
If facts are not synonymous with Truth, then what is Truth?
When Jesus stated that he is the Truth, is he merely stating he is a “fact.” The devil even believes that.
But the Greek he use for “truth” is alethia. This word means “true.” However, it also means “authentic, integrity, genuine, faithfulness.”
One analogy explains this.
In ancient times, before the invention of levels, carpenters used the plumb line to measure whether a wall was straight. They would climb to the top, tie a rock to the end of the rope, and drop the rock to let it hang down. If the wall is straight compared to the plumb line, it is said the wall is “true.” If an airline pilot took off from New York to Paris and his direction is directly on course, it is said his course is “true.”
This is Jesus refers to Truth.
Over the course of the 2024 election, I often drew up a comparison between Truth and a fabricated narrative. I will be the first to admit that Trump is not the harbinger of Truth (though admittedly—whether you love him or hate him—the president has done everything he said he would do. One cannot accuse him of being untruthful).
For four years, I was constantly being told things by the highest office in the land things that did not reflect reality: the economy was the fast growing ever; Biden was sharp as a tack; the border is closed; the Inflation Reduction Act worked; gas was $5 per gallon when Biden took office; white supremacy is the biggest problem; January 6 was the darkest day in American history; BLM and Antifa were peaceful protests; Biden would not pardon his son; pre-emptive pardons were suspicious when Trump broached the subject, but ok when Biden did it; Kamala lost because of racism and misogyny (even Democrat strategist James Carville likened her to playing a “7th string quarterback” in the Superbowl).
Holding these claims against a plum line, it became very clear that none of those claims are genuine, authentic, genuine, etc.
In other words, none of those claims are true.
Thus, I concluded I was experiencing a fabricated narrative.
Please don’t get me wrong. Those on the right can also create narratives. We must call them out whenever we see them, not just when it’s our guy.
As Christ-followers, we must always obey and follow the One who is Truth. Those on the right, me included, do not have a monopoly on Truth. We are not immune to fabricate narratives. Christ-followers on the left have the same plumb line: authenticity, genuineness, etc.
It is fair to measure everything against the plumb line, including anything I say or do. One does that by carefully measure it against the wall. However, it is not done by ad hominem (personal insults), whipping up needless fear, nor by trying to silence those with whom one not agree.
We must all be seekers of Truth.
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