Truth.
How to decipher? How to identify? Hidden from view, are the shadows intentional or simple affects of circumstance? Before gaining the ability to see, one must decide first, what is truth? For without knowing, how can we recognize the truth, even when it is found? Is it based on trust? Faith? Can one even really know the truth if it was shown?
The ultimate truth of right and wrong may be absorbed and used as a gauge. But what if it is skewed facts that are being received? How does one even know what pieces to accept, and which to disregard? Another person might not be trustworthy, but may very well present true facts. But would they be recognized? One might be very trustworthy, based on reputation, but may very well present information that is not factual.
How then, may we decide? The truth of actions can only be found in personal observation and gathering of facts. For without it, all information received can only be trusted at most, not known. But what about the intangible? Hearts, intentions and messages. What facts can even be gleaned? Even a lifetime with another can result only in trust, but not ultimate knowledge. We cannot see the heart. We cannot see intentions. We may believe we know, based on the facts that we see, but in the end, it is a limited knowledge, built on more trust than fact. Our hearts believe what our eyes see – but how often have our eyes been deceived?
Ours is only to do our best. To learn from failures and gain a wisdom that will bring us as close to the truth as possible. The ultimate truth of God will never change. It is up to each individual to decide what other truths do and do not exist. Who is lying? Who is the thief? Who really cares as much as they say? The truth? Go and seek.
Belief.
What we believe is not always the truth. And the truth is not always what we believe. Apart from the knowledge that God places in our hearts of the ultimate Truth of Him, truths and earth can be gray enough to displace one’s beliefs. A friend may inform one of their whereabouts the prior day. Why should one not believe this? They will spread this information as truth – not because they were there or have any facts at all. But because they trust the friend who told them.
Is the information then truth? Or mere belief? It may be both. But do we ever really know? How then are relationships built? Mutual trust and belief that the other lives in truth.
We cannot disregard a sixth sense, or the Spirit’s leading – in these cases, sometimes a person may discern the truth without being presented with the facts. However, on a normal, day-to-day basis, our believes are what drive our own judgments of what truth is.
Spoken words…written words… Which are ultimately true and how do we know? Perhaps faith is the only way to cope. But where no faith is, distrust can eat a man alive.
Finding truth. It’s harder than it looks.
