truth

Five Minute Friday: truth

/ Heather Davis Nelson / 9 Comments

After many months of hiatus, I’m returning to the blog – joining up with Five Minute Friday, hosted by Kate Motaung. Five minutes of free-writing on a given prompt. No editing or overthinking. So here goes … 

It’s so important that I named my daughter after it. Alethia, meaning truth in Greek. It’s easy to lose; hard to find sometimes. Other times it’s staring at you in the face, and then maybe you don’t want to admit what it is.

Pilate asked, “What is truth?” in the face of Truth Incarnate, Jesus led like a lamb to die on the cross.

We ask, “What is truth?” out of confusion. Desperation to know. Refusal to admit it because then it has claims on your life.

streams

Truth should be sweet. Refreshing like purified water. There are so many half-truths and deceptions floating around our world. To discover truth in any form is beautiful. Or at least it should be.

But for me, truth too often seems dry. Unconnected to my life. Which is the furthest thing from the truth. It roots me, anchors me in storms. Telling it leads to freedom and connection and community. Even when it’s hard. Always when it’s coated in love. It’s how I grow. Receiving and telling the truth in love.

Truth isn’t dry when we remember it’s always to be joined to love. Many more will argue with truth who cannot argue with love. So let’s wed the two together, as they’re meant to be. And then truth is attractive – winsome – sought for – and secure.

Five Minute Friday: “truth”

/ Heather Davis Nelson / 3 Comments

“I am the way, the truth, and the life,” claims Jesus, against our culture of relativity where we say there can be no absolute truth. There is my truth; there is your truth; but to claim there is THE truth? That’s heretical to a postmodern way of looking at life. Truth – it’s what my daughter is named for, “Alethia,” the Greek word for truth. With her twin, Lucia, meaning “light,” we pray that they do bring more of what our world desperately needs – truth and light.

True truth isn’t cold, stifling, and dusty – like old books in an ancient library. True truth brings life, hope, joy, as I align my life with it. Truth is meant to dispel the lies I too easily wrap my life and heart around, to free me from such captivity so that I can walk in the truth of who I am. Not covered and hiding by the lies that keep me from truth.

Truth brings justice; calling out wrong for what it is; bringing us to what is right. All of us have an absolute truth we live out of, but is this truth aligned with something deeper – greater – bigger? There is great comfort to me to know truth rooted in the foundation of the world itself – to know truth in a Person, the one who truly knows me and truly knows the world – and then invites me to find the life found in aligning with this Truth. Truth is found in relationship with this True One. Therein is Life and freedom to walk out of the darkness of lies’ deceit.

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Today I’m participating in Lisa-Jo’s “Five Minute Friday,” a chance to write unedited for five minutes on a word given by Lisa-Jo each Friday. Come join us!