Finding and Defining Truth

The actions of others is fascinating and I am amazed by what causes opinion and belief. Is it a predisposition, a personality, an environmental cause? What is it that makes us believe and do the things we do? I am convinced that we all have some kind of perspective that gives cause to our thinking. One could argue that this perspective is shaped by our nature and nurture, being that who we are is a combination of our personality and our environment. I see this in my own life, with the development of my baby girl. She is already being shaped by her experiences, and her demeanor plays an important role in how she responds to life. Similarly, I would argue that adults attribute their growth, development, and outlook based on past experiences, primarily from childhood and adolescent years. (On a side note, I have a theory that many people never move past high school being that they still value the need to be cool. I should be in this category, except that friends, family, and pictures have helped me realize that I am a dork. But that topic is for another day.)

If our personality and experiences have shaped us, then it is up to us to find the appropriate response to the quandaries that plague us. Regardless of what you believe, the truth exits. However, the difficulty I have found with the truth is the ability to accept it. People value truth, but unfortunately, the truth is too easily defined from our own experiences. The idea that the truth can be defined individually is a false idea. It is like believing that the truth is a combination of our personality and circumstances, as though it changes with each new generation. The truth is not contingent on us. It does not change, rather we change our understanding and ability to accept it. The truth simply exists; whether or not we believe it. Truth is not subjective. It comes from God.

Take for instance, belief in the value of a human being. I will say that all life has intrinsic value, but human life is highest because it was created by God and created in His image. However, this is not a truth universally agreed upon across the globe, or even within our nation. Rather, the global and cultural value on life varies. Some cultures look at human beings differently than others, and in the name of religion, tradition, law, or bias each nation chooses their own beliefs and accepts them as gospel. We allow governments, courtrooms, and our culture to dictate how life is valued. This is something I cannot understand. The truth is still the truth regardless of any other viewpoint or new idea that had supposedly been introduced into modern-day thinking.

In our culture, we cannot allows the truth to become mis-represented or avoided. Truth is not culture or context based. Just because you thought you were cool in high school does not mean you are cool now. Truth is found in God. And in this life the truth is we have two main tasks: to love God, and to love people. How we love, and the context from which we love is one that I will continue searching for in this life.