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Something will turn out to be the Truth

 

One of my favorite Abraham Lincoln quotes is where he asks a crowd of listeners . . .

"If you called the horse's tail a leg, how many legs would a horse have?"

In reply, those in the crowd shouted . . . five!  No, says Lincoln.  The answer is . . .

"Four."

"Calling the tail a leg does not make it one."

 

Something will, indeed, turn out to be the Truth. I believe the Truth will turn out to be Jesus. I believe He (Jesus) is the Messiah . . . the Christ . . . the Anointed One. If Scripture is even close to being accurately recorded, He as much said so Himself. What I do not believe is that I need to beat anyone over the head with a really big Bible, or otherwise coerce them into believing as I do. Besides, in reality, you can push, or even force, someone into professing something, but you cannot force anyone to believe anything. Belief is always that which is truly inside you, regardless of the external stresses and pressures. The way some Christians live out their professed beliefs, you would think they were getting paid a commission for every person they can cajole into "buying" Christianity. To the best of my knowledge, there are no sales quota bonuses, but that does not mean the issue is not important. There is likely no greater choice anyone will ever make than deciding what they believe to be the Truth. I must decide for me. You must decide for you. I am not the one who will live the consequences of your choices – you are. I will live the consequences of my choices. Yet, if my beliefs turn out to be correct, we will have a very long time to experience our decisions. It behooves us to give them some serious time, energy, and thought in the present. 

The existence of life is a pretty absurd proposition. Yet, here we are. Whatever the Truth is, we are smack dab in the middle of it already. Is there something that will truly never end? A forever something, or a forever nothing, are still both forever – that which never ends. Put that in your stomach and let it churn around for a while. It might evoke some surprising emotions. I do not like all of what Jesus said and did. For a Guy whose main message was grace, forgiveness, love and salvation, He said and did some pretty harsh things. But when I look at Him overall, there is no comparison. He is the One I have hitched my wagon to. By any measure, He is worth a look by every human being. Keep your mind and heart open. 

Christianity, as practiced within its many variations called churches and denominations, as well as its historical deeds and endeavors, is less than inspiring. In order to make an evaluation for myself, I had to stop looking at Christianity and look specifically at Jesus, the Christ. Not that Christianity is without its moments or heroes, for there are many. However, if all I had to look at was Christianity, I would not be a follower of Jesus. But, it is not all I have to look at. It is not all you have available to look at. You can ignore the search for Truth, but it will not go away. Every one of us will face that which we call death, whether it is simply a transition, a finality, or some other reality. Something will turn out to have been the Truth. 

 

 

Sometimes called "the heart of the Bible — the Gospel in miniature" John 3:16 is probably the most widely utilized verse from Scripture. It is certainly the most advertised in our times. The simple good news message it offers to us reads (NIV):

16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,
   that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

That verse is followed by an affirmation of our Creator's intent:

17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him.

After that, things tend to become more complicated as churches, denominations, organizations, and even some individuals are each more than happy to proclaim to you their version of what it means to be a believer, or non-believer, and why you should join their ranks if you want to get it right. Nonetheless, John 3:16-17 is a good starting point for anyone who wishes to look seriously at Jesus. I have often said, the whole story from Genesis to Revelation would sound like the most preposterous of fairy tales if there were not so much evidence to support it. I believe John 3:16-17. Do not let Christianity get in the way of seeing Jesus with your heart. Your head will likely follow, even when the choices appear to be overwhelming. 

 

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A note about where to start learning about Jesus if all you believe about Him comes from interactions with Christians: In this electronic age, there is no shortage of materials available for you to learn about Jesus if you so desire. The trick, of course, is discerning accurate information from the fictional. For those who are willing to check out the Bible, I have always recommended beginning with just the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Compared to the entire Bible they are a relatively small section found in the New Testament (back part of most Bibles), and are four separate accounts of the life of Jesus when He walked the earth in the flesh. Some Bibles print His spoken words in red to highlight them. If you do not have a Bible, and live locally, I give them away at the Teaching & Sharing Center of Grand Ledge. 

There are a number of very good movies which tell the story as well. The 1977 Zeffirelli production, Jesus of Nazareth, was instrumental in my own understanding of Jesus. I have DVDs of it, and several shorter films, available for borrowing at the Teaching & Sharing Center of Grand Ledge. 

If you are not local, and cannot come by the Center, I have many items on my Christian Life Links page which can be helpful in learning more about Jesus. Feel free to email me with any questions as you try to sift through the information.