December 4

The Death of Truth?

You’re going to find that there will be times when people will have no stomach for solid teaching, but will fill up on spiritual junk food—catchy opinions that tickle their fancy. They’ll turn their backs on truth and chase mirages. But you—keep your eye on what you’re doing; accept the hard times along with the good; keep the Message alive; do a thorough job as God’s servant.

––2 Timothy 4:3, msg

According to many sociologists, theologians, and culture watchers, the U.S. has moved from being a post-Christian to a post-truth nation. I’ve heard the phrase “post-truth” being thrown around, particularly in the past decade or so. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, “post-truth” is an adjective defined as “relating to or denoting circumstances in which objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief.”

That hits home, right? Deep fakes, AI manipulation, fake news, social media rumors that morph into “facts” … the list goes on.

For God’s man, the only way to counter post-truth culture is with the Truth. As in, Jesus and the Word. Stating the obvious? Probably. So let’s get specific. In light of the onslaught of half-truths and flat-out falsehoods we all encounter on a daily basis, here are some counter-measures:

• Check the source. Is the source to be trusted? The only completely trustworthy source is the Bible. From there, every piece of news or information should be open to your scrutiny. (Yes, even your most beloved news outlet.) Try to put aside biases and examine the specifics of the story or issue.
• Corroborate. If the piece of information seems important, take the time to get other points of view. If we only ever use one news source, for example, we are at greater risk of post-truth impurities polluting our news stream. Sometimes I purposefully filter a news story through conservative, moderate, and liberal news sources to catch different points of view. No news source, political commentator, or podcaster has a corner on the truth!
• Thoughtfully respond. In case you need to hear it from another brother: You should not feel obligated to respond to every piece of hooey or falsehood you see on your social media feeds! But when you do feel the need to respond, do it thoughtfully. Meaning, be direct but respectful. If you are ticked off, wait a few minutes—or even an hour—before pressing “send.”
• Pray the news. Filter your news through God’s Word, and not the other way around. As well, before I dive into the news of the day (which I try to do AFTER I’ve had my morning sit with God), I pray that I see the news through Holy Spirit lenses, not my own.

Can one man defeat the hydra that is post-truth culture? No. But all of us as God’s men can do it one news story or whacky post at a time. Speak the truth, be strong but kind, and always—always—think before you type or speak.

Father, Your truth is the only antidote to post-truth thinking. Help me always seek the truth of Your Word over all other “truths.”

______________________

Word of the Year 2016