For the Love of Truth

The more of the world I see, the more I am struck by the sheer absurdness of those “hollow philosophies” that Paul warns us of in Scripture. The very principle of a relativistic mindset–indeed, any philosophy that is not founded on the absolutes of Scripture–is not only illogical, but completely un-natural.

The world itself, as far as I can tell, is run on absolutes. Without them, nothing works. Societal norms, laws, even personal happiness, are all servants to some kind of absolute standard, whether of rightness or goodness or something else. Even language itself is absolutist by nature, relying on constant definitions outside of each person’s individual emotional attachment to words.

I am continually more aware that by denying the presence of absolute truths based on a God outside of this universe (and even if I know about them, refusing to act on them as if they are real), I am essentially acting like a spoiled, dillusional child. While I sit in a corner and scream at the tops of my lungs in hopes of making the world bend to my will (even though any adult could tell me that it won’t), God stands there looking at me as the kind, patient Father that He is.

“If only she would accept the way things are, and act accordingly,” He must say, “then she could finally start growing up, and leave these temper tantrums behind.” What parent hasn’t wished that for their child?

And yet we men as a whole have consistantly chosen the childish temper-tantrums of postmodernism, pantheism, humanism, and relativism. How very much like toddlers we are! How naive and childish must we seem to God as we strive against the natural, undeniable reality of life merely because it causes us some discomfort in our self-centered views.

Only now have I started to understand even an inkling of that promise, “The truth shall set you free”. There is no gauruntee of comfort there; the truth does not make things happy or event pleasant. And yet it does!

Is there not joy in leaving those empty philosophies of the world in favor of a more “adult” view of the world? What child does not, over course of time, realize how much better off he is in his understanding once he has matured? Is there not happiness and pleasantness in growing closer to the heart of one’s Creator, and of having true purpose and meaning?

This, then, is the freedom that truth gives us: the freedom of perspective, of disregarding those vain philosophies that would take us captive and keep us forever screaming in the corner.

I realize it is high time that I listen to my Father and stop throwing temper tantrums of fake philosophy, whether by believing them or acting like I do.