I heard Donald Miller once talk about Truth vs. Meaning. He shared a story about a conversation he had with one of his friends. He asked his friend how he knew that he loved his wife. His friend responded by listing off all the attributes of his bride......she was pretty, intelligent, athletic, a devoted wife, a devoted mom, a committed Christian, good sense of humor, etc., etc. (you get the point). Don then reasoned with him that if he were able to find a woman that was, prettier, more intelligent, a better athlete, a more devoted wife/mother, a more committed Christian and funnier, than his wife (AND in fact could legitimately gauge and measure each of these things to prove that this woman was better in all categories), would he leave his wife for this other woman?
His question is a haunting one - not because of the presumed affair - because it challenges everything we base our truth on!
It is my belief and observation that we usually base our truth by processing presented facts (or at least our perception of the facts) and not so much out of our experience of them and the meaning that it brings. Most of us go through a logical and tangible approach of distilling these facts and coming to the best decision possible to determine what we believe or do not believe.
It's not that we never make decisions about truth from our experiences and the meaning of them, most of us do. However, the majority of our beliefs are usually given to us, and we take them, by a process of logical thought. If A equals B and B equals C, then A must equal C. But does it really?
If this truly is the criteria in which Don's friend measures his love for his wife, by the processing of perceived facts, then what would stop him from transferring his love if he could find a person who "scores better" in all of these areas? Logically, based on his reasoning, it would make sense for him to love this new woman more than his wife. Right?!?
Don went on to tell us that his friend responded that he wound definitely not leave his wife for this "super woman" even if she did "score better" than his wife in any of these areas. Of course Don pressed his friend further and asked, Why? To which his friend responded that there was something about his love for his wife that was deeper than all of those things. Then Don submitted to his friend that if that was the case then he really hadn't arrived at the true reason for why he loved his wife! That he had only listed off a bunch of truths about her but had not really thought about the meaning that brings those truths to life.
This thought has challenged me in all areas of truth in my life. It is easy to hang our heart on truth that is presented to us, give authority to it over our lives, and obey them without a second thought. But what if a better sounding truth comes along? What if something "truer" penetrates my heart and my thoughts? What if the truth that I believe was really not truth at all? What if the "real" truth came along? Would I be able to see it? Would I be willing to admit what I believe to be truth is shallow or false? Could I release my grasp of what I hold to be true and allow God to bring His truth into focus?
So how do you get from Truth to Meaning? If it is a truth that you were taught as a child and always accepted and never really thought twice about it, maybe you need to question it? Maybe you need to ask WHY does this rule exist? You might discover that it is a man-made truth and actually has very little to do with God's truth. What if God's truth was the opposite? Would you be willing to go through the painful journey of change? What if God's truth was unclear? Will you be o.k. with the greyness of it all or will you crawl back to the safety of your black & White lens?
If you're like me, there is truth that you know and have been taught.....that really is the truth! If so, what is your meaning behind it? Have you ever let the meaning of this truth bubble to the surface of your heart and change the way you see yourself? see others? see God? see His Church? Have you ever really surrendered this truth before God and asked Him to make it more than just truth to you? Have you ever allowed God to let this truth move from your logical to your emotional and creative parts of your brain?
A lot of questions. Not as many answers. Something to think about.
