I was reading Brian McLaren's open letter to Chuck Colson and the response he received. The letters got me thinking about what exactly we imply when we say we know the truth or that we are seekers.
The two take differing perspectives when it comes to defining truth. Brian, on one hand, approaches it by recognizing that there are many different levels or kinds of truth. By doing this he is acknowledging that, for example, something a Christian holds as truth may not be truth for a non-Christian. He also looks at truth from a more human view: telling the truth (not lying), knowing what is true or real (what can you concretely observe in the world around you), etc. Colson, instead turned to the Truth, you know... the Truth as written in the bible. The problem with truth as it applies to people, is that everything we as a society hold to be true is always filtered through our own current cultural lens. Taking it a step further, our own personal experiences will further filter and refine what we consider to be truth.
Colson states that he is a seeker, and that he knows the Truth. His truth here mainly refers to God's divine revelations to humanity, and his seeking is his attempts to do God's work in the world. I feel, however, that part of being a seeker in a sense implies that you don't know the truth; that part of your journey is to discover bits and pieces as you strive to follow Christ. If you claim to already know the truth, then what are you seeking? To me it would seem that a perspective like that is one of following Jesus with blinders on, you've found the truth and written down - so you are all set and trucking down the road to meet up with Jesus. To me being a seeker is more like orienteering, you know... wandering through the woods with a compass and a map. Your map tells you where you are headed, your compass gives you a way to check your direction, but the landmarks around you are what allow you to verify where you are in the moment. What good is a map if you don't have some kind of compass? Or a compass without a map? Does a map of the Rocky Mountains help if you are hiking in Berkshires? As a seeker, you need to be like an orienteer, constantly stopping to check your surroundings, direction, and progress.
I don't claim to have the truth, nor do I even claim that I am right. To me it feels right, and so far my map and compass seem to be working out fairly well. Again, it all comes down to perspective and how the truths that are revealed to us by God are incorporated in our lives. Trying to spread the message with your own personal perspective can cause more harm than good at times, especially in an intellectual culture like we have in the world today. Just because someone tells me something is true and right is no reason to accept that as absolute truth. I find that if I sit down and dig into it more, question it, really bring my full focus to bear then I can truly understand it and embrace it as my own. You want a really interesting experiment, try this on for size. Sit down someplace quiet and ponder, "Why do I believe that God exists?" The following canned answers (or slight variations there of) do NOT apply for this exercise:
- I read it in the Bible, and I believe it.
- I just look at nature and know.
- I can't explain it, I just do.
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