“The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, remains fundamental to justice and the workings of our courts. The crimes of reality and fiction are solved by sleuths, professional and amateur, sitting in armchairs or in offices searching for evidence of what transpired and considering the motivations of those involved. The truth they seek, is out there, the test is finding it…
…Little children as they learn to speak, learn too, to give the answers they hope will please their parents. They, at times construct their own versions of reality, where they are innocent of the missing biscuit or muddy footprint. Wise parents, recognise when the truth is not being told, and teach their children the importance of ‘owning up’ and of ‘telling the truth’.
Yet we know that Truth can be illusive. If truth is ‘What really happened, the objective reality of what is,’ then our limited vision and partial recollections mean that each one of us, at best, can only grasp or experience a limited truth. We stand the best chance of finding truth when we seek it together.
Scientists use measurements and observations to support their theories of how things are, and yet we know that with the passing of time, new discoveries and insights from others in the scientific community cast doubts on the truths of the past. It is not that the universe has changed but that, as our ability to measure and observe has developed, the new reality revealed leads us to more truthful conclusions.
Our Jewish and Christian scriptures are similarly the product of a collaborative desire to record the reality experienced by many people over eons of time. They focus on the ‘whys’ rather than ‘hows’ and describe the painful truths of our human condition with a brutal honesty that has offended, and reassured, many over the centuries. And yet they point to a truth. The truth of a God who has revealed himself to people, the truth of a man called Jesus who lived and died in ancient Israel, and who proved himself to be more than this by coming back to life. This truth was attested to by hundreds of eyewitnesses. The fact that he has been alive since then, by billions more, millions of whom are alive today, myself included.
If you are uncertain about what is true, then may I suggest that a good place to start is to learn or read a little more about Jesus and consider for yourself whether or not what is said about him is true.”
