How do we know what is true? (Easter 2022 panel)

In today’s society many people are looking for answers through people who have claimed to have an inside track to the truth. How do we know what is true?

For thousands of years, people have been debating how we know what is true. There’s even a whole branch of philosophy that focuses on this – epistemology – isn’t that a fun word? Are we going to solve that once-and-for-all today? Not likely. Even at Jesus’ trial before His crucifixion, Pilate famously asked rhetorically, “What is truth?” In a nutshell, truth is the property or state of being in accordance with facts or reality. I would encourage us all to remember two things in our search for truth. Starting with “I don’t know” and especially “I don’t know everything about such-and-such” is a great place to start. Humility opens doors to continued conversations, whether we’re talking about the meaning of life or more mundane things. Learning to ask questions and being willing to follow the path of truth, I am convinced, will inevitably lead us closer to the heart of God, because Jesus, who is fully God and fully human, introduced Himself to us as “I AM the truth.” Jesus is all that is genuine, all that is good, all that is holy, all that is beautiful. I want to encourage us all to be willing to ask, be willing to listen, be willing to learn, and be willing to admit that we don’t know everything. Often crises are catalysts for more desperate or intentional searches for truth. Let’s be humble and trustworthy companions on the journey of life whom others can turn to in times of need. We can be diligent to prepare our hearts and minds – prayerfully studying Scripture, regularly reading the saints throughout Christian History, and courageously engaging with thinkers of our day are great places to start. The Holy Spirit will give us the words we need at the time. We could spend another year on this topic and only barely scrape the surface. But we can be confident that God created everything and that God created us in His image to flourish in relationship with Him, one another, and creation. Today, Easter Sunday, we celebrate what Christ Jesus did to make this possible. Come to Jesus, who is the truth.