The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth....
That sounds so straightforward and simple.
Life, at least my life, is never quite that way.
Truth has many aspects.
All of them open to interpretation, mine and yours.
I used to think it depended on how honest one wanted to be.
Now I think it is more complicated.
Many questions fly pointlessly into this world. The asker has no real desire to hear the answer and especially not the long, complicated, intense, real answer.
So called polite inquiries and social customs are often thoughtlessly rude ways to fill a space in time. I think a smiling nod acknowledging each other is infinitely better than a "How are you?" when you really don't care to know.
It's one of those customs that confuse children because it is basically an acceptably dishonest one. We were told as children to be honest. We were also told if someone asks you how you are, you say fine, because they really don't want to know. Imagine that!
Not everyone is that way, but how do you know the difference? In which split second can you size up a situation and an entire complex person and know if they are being polite, kissing up, or really caring? And this is the simplest level of communication!
Imagine things like: "Is it a good book?" "Do you work?" "What happened?" "Do you believe in God?"
Very young children sometimes open our eyes to the complicated webs we weave around what appear to be simple truths in life.
I once taught a toddler a nursery rhyme that went God made the sun, God made the trees, God made you and God made me. It was a long time ago, but I have never forgotten the response. He said it, paused, thought about it and then asked, "Which God was that?"
For some that seems like a crazy question, but even great theologian's don't seem to agree on these things. We just all seem to assume we are right.
That sounds so straightforward and simple.
Life, at least my life, is never quite that way.
Truth has many aspects.
All of them open to interpretation, mine and yours.
I used to think it depended on how honest one wanted to be.
Now I think it is more complicated.
Many questions fly pointlessly into this world. The asker has no real desire to hear the answer and especially not the long, complicated, intense, real answer.
So called polite inquiries and social customs are often thoughtlessly rude ways to fill a space in time. I think a smiling nod acknowledging each other is infinitely better than a "How are you?" when you really don't care to know.
It's one of those customs that confuse children because it is basically an acceptably dishonest one. We were told as children to be honest. We were also told if someone asks you how you are, you say fine, because they really don't want to know. Imagine that!
Not everyone is that way, but how do you know the difference? In which split second can you size up a situation and an entire complex person and know if they are being polite, kissing up, or really caring? And this is the simplest level of communication!
Imagine things like: "Is it a good book?" "Do you work?" "What happened?" "Do you believe in God?"
Very young children sometimes open our eyes to the complicated webs we weave around what appear to be simple truths in life.
I once taught a toddler a nursery rhyme that went God made the sun, God made the trees, God made you and God made me. It was a long time ago, but I have never forgotten the response. He said it, paused, thought about it and then asked, "Which God was that?"
For some that seems like a crazy question, but even great theologian's don't seem to agree on these things. We just all seem to assume we are right.
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