“Facts do not cease to exist because
— Aldous Huxley, Complete Essays 2 ,1926
they are ignored.
You’ve
probably heard the phrase “True North.” The Wikipedia definition says
“True north (also called geodetic north) is the direction along Earth’s
surface towards the geographic North Pole or True North Pole.” Ouch,
dammit! That was a face-plant as I fell into a coma from boredom.
The
scientific version is blah. But when we use the phrase true north in
conversation, we’re saying the subject we’re referring to is “solid,”
you might also add “accurate.” For example, if I mention a fireman and
say, “Those folks have their compass pointed true north,” I’m saying
they stand for safety, integrity, and they know exactly what their
mission is.
Let’s
think of true north in that context for today, and in relation to
truth. Seems pretty straightforward that we would respect people who
stand for something, the ones who keep their word, who have weathered
the storms of life and are reliable. I would offer that those folks also
have a selflessness to them, an outwardness to their disposition.
Therefore, the opposite of true north might be “flaky.” There’s no
consistency, no stability in the person’s direction, and you can’t get a
read on ’em. Might say, “Something about them seems shady, can’t pin
’em down.”
So,
do you want to surround yourself with friends who are of true north
character? Or the flaky ones you can’t trust, and probably won’t call
when in a pickle at 2am? Side note and true story. Twenty yrs ago I had a
friend call me at 2am, he asked me to pick up his girlfriend from
jail… He was too tired. I was flabbergasted, but my shock was
thimble-esque compared to his girlfriend when I showed up, and not him
to gather her from Dallas County’s Lew Sterrett. The look of utter
disappointment on her face was permanently etched in my mind. My buddy
wasn’t a dirt-bag. He made a poor choice in the moment, same as I have
50+ times in other scenarios.
Who’s Your True North?
Yes, I intended “Who” instead of “What.” Is there someone current or historical you look to as an example of solid truth? Lincoln comes to mind. Teddy Roosevelt. Nelson Mandela. Or you could say your true north is the letter of the law. Maybe if pressed further, you might say your highest truth is the Constitution of the United States. Now we’re getting somewhere interesting. The Constitution was ratified in 1788, a decade after The Declaration of Independence. In the latter document we find these inspired words:
“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of happiness.”
These stirring words were designed to convince Americans to put their lives on the line for the cause. Separation from the mother country threatened their sense of security, economic stability, and identity. The preamble sought to inspire and unite them through the vision of a better life. – National Archives
Boom, that has some horsepower! I purposely made bold “their Creator.” The founding fathers started with God as their foundation, as their true north. No need to volley back and forth who among the founding fathers was Christian and who was only deist. The main point is you’ll find no reputable writing of any of them being avout atheists. Even Ben Franklin says this:
“Here is my Creed,” Franklin wrote to Ezra Stiles, the Calvinist president of Yale College.
“I believe in one God, Creator of the Universe. That He governs it by His Providence. That he ought to be worshiped. That the most acceptable Service we render to him, is doing Good to his other Children. That the Soul of Man is immortal, and will be treated with Justice in another Life respecting its Conduct in this … As for Jesus of Nazareth … I think the system of Morals and Religion as he left them to us, the best the World ever saw … but I have … some Doubts to his Divinity; though’ it is a Question I do not dogmatism upon, having never studied it, and think it is needless to busy myself with it now, where I expect soon an Opportunity of knowing the Truth with less Trouble.” – Pennsylvania Heritage Magazine
Any document or book we point to as the best truth to use as our compass has ultimately been authored by mankind. Yes, the Quran, Torah and Bible were all authored by people. Those holy books claim to be “God-breathed,” meaning they were inspired by God working through the men and women picking up the pen and parchment. By the way, I have to chuckle when my non-believing friends say “I don’t believe any holy book that was made up by man.” They then proceed to give me their version of spirituality they use for truth… which was authored by him or her, who also happens to be a person.
This is where we segue back to my previous post regarding your truth is yours, mine is mine, and how tragic results occur related to Rwanda, Eric Garner and abortion. What’s the connection? Every issue: failed marriage, famine, clean water, mental illness, alcoholism, race relations; all have proponents claiming true north. Abortion is no different, both sides claim to hold the accurate truth. Guaranteed neither side will wake up one day and say “You know, come to think of it, I’m ok with what they believe.” Both sides cannot both be true because their positions contradict each other, and the law of non-contradiction debunks two opposites both being true.
I had a conversation recently where I said every war in the Middle East and every humanitarian aid challenge would be solved if Jesus Christ returned tomorrow. Yep, there was easily five seconds of blank stares. They just blinked in awe at my newfound Martian status. Stay with me here. As a Christ follower, I’m called and commanded to believe what the Holy Bible says. It unambiguously states that Christ lived, died, rose again, ascended to heaven, and will return. He will fix our busted, effed-up world and continue His role as Creator, Governor, Owner, Big Cheese, El Hefe and Grand Poobah of the entire universe. For clarity, I didn’t accept this concept blindly. I dug deep and fought hard to disprove the whole idea of Christ, but eventually had to tap out because the Bible was and is astoundingly powerful. For intense wrestling, read Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis, and The Case for Christ by Lee Strobel, former atheist and Legal Editor of The Chicago Tribune. Or my book below as a starter kit.
A good friend and mentor said offering Christ as the be-all end-all solution will be considered reductionist. Correct. While the natural world is infinitely complex, the issues I’m discussing can be broken down into ever smaller pieces which are ultimately human, as in “relational.” And Christ is first and foremost about healing relationships, first with God, then between people.
I AM ALPHA AND OMEGA!… Did I say that outloud? I meant God is.
If I don’t perceive Christ as the alpha and omega solution of all global problems we face with sickness, dysfunction, morality, racism and diffusion of wars, whether civil or global; then I have to look elsewhere for the solution. And what is that other solution? Seriously, what’s the answer? “Well, if we would all get our shit together and try harder to be nice people, then things will right themselves.” Or, “If we would continue leveraging science and technology, then the answers will eventually happen and we’ll finally get life right.” In the former scenario we’re hoping world leaders can assemble and agree on all major issues, then we’ll solve everything. But, and that’s a big ol’ but for sure, what if those world leaders are each working from their own version of truth that works for them as individuals? This isn’t a “What if?” It’s a fact; they are all working from their own truth. Russia has a nationalistic truth, China too, as does France, and we as the USA. And this is only politics. If we narrow in on health issues, can the collective scientific community get together and nail down the solution for global warming, cancer, clean water for all… hell, even the common cold? Let me be clear, I’m not saying there are never any geopolitical, medical or scientific breakthroughs that fix specific problems. But with medicine in particular, seems like throwing a pill at the latest syndrome may result in side effects that include nausea, insomnia, vomiting, loss of appetite, dizziness, and loss of sex drive… which requires another pill.
This is the problem with pluralism. We may claim that 10 truths or 100 truths can all work, but the life issues above make a strong case that multiple truths don’t work. Yes, we are functioning, but we are not performing perfectly, and I and others would argue that not only are we not competent, we’re failing.
Maybe you’re scratching your head thinking, “Damn, stop being such an alarmist. I’ve got it pretty good, life’s not that bad. Plus, what exactly is the point!???” Progress has been made on some fronts, but take a gander at some of the world global statistics at Lifewater. The folks living out those statistics would not say life is peachy. We, as the winners, always have skewed vision because we’re not struggling to find food and clean water everyday.
Here’s a simple example of true north, particularly for a meat-head jock like me. In any sport, there are rules to govern the game. Everyone playing and watching understands how the score is kept and outcome derived. When a dispute occurs, all participants can look to the guidelines for clarity. If needed, the final authority comes from a governing body who renders a decision.
Can my sports analogy apply to all global issues? Since no person or government can declare they are the final authority, what or who is the next option? “Oh no, please don’t say holy books!” Yes, ultimately the solution to all woes will be God weaving His magic. It will be Him providing a standard set of guidelines upon which all of us agree. Has the supernatural fix already arrived in the form of Hinduism, Islam, Judaism or Christianity? Or has God decided a “spiritual” label and no religious affiliation is the best path?
Don’t change that channel, as Friday I’ll discuss whether all major religions can all be right and true? Or is there a single path God wants us to choose, and He’s made it as easy as accepting a free lunch from a friend.
See ya next time. ML