Our Truth Galaxies

Truth is vast and complex, but “What is truth?” It’s a question Pilate famously asked roughly two thousand years ago. If you’ve struggled in a relationship, been caught up in a political argument, taken sides in a science-versus-religion debate, or ever worried about there being life after death, you have probably asked that question as well.

Rather than attempt to answer it, let’s just talk about truth: my truth and your truth, marital truth and political truth, scientific and religious truth. We can appreciate the beauty of how these realms of truth are organized much like we can enjoy the varied formations in the Grand Canyon with their analogous vastness and detail in time and space. What you will see will depend on the excursions you take.

Here are six possible exploratory trips. The first is a flight over the canyon. It begins with a look at both the simplicity of your statements and the complexity of their interpretation. It then takes you over some common truth formations. This flight may leave you thinking that the Grand Canyon of Truth ultimately resides in our minds.

The next three excursions are a deeper look into our marital, political, and institutional truth formations. While they are easily recognized, siblings and friends can be quite differently caught up in them. This may leave you wondering whether the origin of the Grand Canyon of Truth is not ultimately cultural.

The fifth excursion takes you into the realm of our spiritual pathfinders and their interest in the eventual consequences of the different ways that we choose to address our most fundamental concerns. It also looks at how “the End Times” have been differently envisioned, a topic worth contemplating and discussing. It may leave you wondering if the Grand Canyon of Truth isn’t somehow sourced in our genes.

In the last excursion, you raft down the Grand Canyon of Your Truth. This excursion is best taken with some well-meaning friends who are willing to discuss the consequences of how you address your most basic concerns.

These excursions will leave you with a clearer orientation toward life, a more integrated view science and religion, and a more structured and well-grounded way for discussing wherein lies the joy of life with family, friends, and colleagues.