The truth is out there

“I solemnly swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.” We’ve heard these words time and time again. We’ve said these words ourselves. Most of us tell the truth, most of the time. All of us want to know the truth, want people to be honest with us. The question that philosophers and preachers and plain folk like you and me ask: “What in the world is true?”

Webster, in his dictionary, says that “Truth is that which corresponds perfectly to its referent.” In other words, something is “true” when its in line, or in agreement with, that which is real!

A PATTERN is real! A professional seamstress can lay out a piece of cloth on a pattern, mark it off, cut it out, and sew it up and her handiwork becomes a blouse or a dress that fits her perfectly. When the cloth corresponds perfectly to the pattern, it is true!

A carpenter’s RULE and SQUARE are real! A professional carpenter will take a blueprint and built a dream house, a house made-to-order. Looking at the blueprint, the carpenter will measure the foundation, checking to see that the foundation is level and square. Next, the builder will check every stud and sill and beam to make sure that they are all in perfect alignment.

Finally, the builder will put everything together, checking to see that everything fits as it should, that everything is straight and true.

When a building is built as it was designed, according to the blueprint, that building is true!

A SEED is real! A farmer or gardener chooses the seed with great care. A farmer knows that when he plants corn seed in his field, he will reap a harvest of corn. A gardener knows that when she sows lettuce seed in her garden, that she will find lettuce growing there. When a seed produces exactly what it is supposed to produce, that seed is true!

JESUS CHRIST is real! He says: “I Am Truth!”

Jesus Christ is the PERFECT PATTERN for life! He is the only begotten Son, the spitting image of his Heavenly Father. He is the Son of Man, born of a woman. Jesus experienced everything in life that any one of us could ever experience. Jesus experienced both joy and sorrow, temptations and trials, darkness and death. Yet, Jesus did not sin; he was perfectly faithful and obedient to his Father. Jesus loved his Father with a perfect love. As One who was present at, and had a hand in creation, Jesus Christ knows more about life and living than any one. Jesus Christ knew what life was designed to be, and he lived life perfectly. That’s Truth!

Jesus Christ if the MASTER BUILDER! The life of every one of us will be measured against the standard of Christ’s life. Any deviation of thought, word, or deed will not be tolerated. Each life must measure up. Each life must be straight and true according to His standards. That’s Truth!

Jesus Christ is the PERFECT SEED! The Seed was alive. We saw the Seed. We heard and touched the Seed. The Good Seed was crucified, died, and was buried in the grave. On the third day, the Seed burst forth from the ground, rising again to live forever. The promise is that every person who patterns his life on Jesus Christ, who builds his live according to God’s blueprint, and who willingly dies to self will rise like Christ to live forever in the presence of Almighty God. That’s Truth!

Jesus is real! Jesus Christ is the Truth! Believe it! Alive like Him!

Dr. Don Kuehle, United Methodist, Retired, Jackson, Missouri