Does Truth Matter?

Pontius Pilate famously asked, "What is truth?" He infamously asked it of the Truth (John 14:6). He blithely asked God's-Word-become-flesh (John 1:14). But he walked away. Jesus never got the chance to say, "You're looking at Him." He never had the opportunity to answer. You have to think that's because Pilate really didn't mean his question. That is, it was rhetorical ... no answer.

The question still hangs there. I work in a heavily academic arena with PhDs and MS's and more -- educated people. I recently overheard a discussion between two coworkers (neither of whom were Christians) over the concept of gender fluidity. One was arguing that it made no sense, that it had no science behind it, that it wasn't true. The other said, "Why does it matter?" Thus the question: Does truth matter?

Jesus said He was the Truth (John 14:6). I think we can come to some reasonable conclusions from that singular claim. First, since Jesus made the claim, there must be truth. Truth is that which aligns with reality. No truth, no reality. There must be truth. Philosophers love to dance around, "It's all just an illusion," but if they were right they'd need to stop dancing. You know, if it's not real there's no reason to keep doing anything. Since all of us keep doing things, we clearly know that there is truth, there is reality.

Second, since Jesus said it, it would seem patently obvious that truth can be known. We can know Jesus. He is the truth. Ergo, we can know the truth. We may not know all the truth. We might be deceived on some points. But truth can be known to some degree.

Third, if Jesus is the truth and Jesus matters, clearly the truth matters.

I think it is abundantly clear that there is truth, that we can know it, and that it matters immensely. That's why I cannot fathom how it is that so many today don't care. I'd like to say, "It's those on the Left" or something that would get one side or another to applaud, but it's not. The Left often doesn't care. The Right often doesn't care. Those among both heathens and the religious don't care. "My view" matters, but the pursuit of truth isn't a priority. For many people, truth just doesn't matter.

Going back to Jesus, if truth doesn't matter, that's going to be a problem. Since He is the only way to the Father (John 14:6) and He doesn't matter, we're headed in a cataclysmic direction. Some of us might want to reexamine our view of truth. Either it is important -- nay, vital -- or it is not. If not, then that will suggest massive changes to what we do, think, and feel, and not in a good way. If truth does matter, that, too, will require new directions -- choices, thoughts, feelings. It ought to be considered.