“The Ring of Truth”
by Dr. Douglas Ezell

Maybe you have said it. I’m sure you have heard it. Someone will say, “That statement has the ring of truth to it.” Another way people say that is, “That rings true.” What we mean by these statements is that what we have heard or seen has the sense and feel of truth according to some inner mechanism that sifts through all we see and hear looking for the truth.

We know truth is out there. It is a reality. However, getting to it, or rather allowing it to reach us is not always easy. In some cases it isn’t expedient; so, even though we know it is true, we refuse to acknowledge the truth. We usually do this for some self-serving reason that will give us a short-term gain. Most often, however, it turns out that we hurt ourselves when we ignore what rings true to us.

Pilate certainly hurt himself when he couldn’t or wouldn’t hear the truth. Pilate’s question “What is truth?,” to Jesus was not necessarily just a hollow, sarcastic, avoidance- motivated statement. It could have been just that, but on the other hand, it is sometimes very difficult for us imperfect humans to discern exactly what is truth and what is fiction. Jesus’ accusers said he was a blasphemer and Jesus wasn’t talking. So maybe, Pilate was actually unable to discern what was truth and what was fiction. What we do know is he went with fiction and in the long run it hurt him.

My good friend, Myron Madden, says that reality is always better than fantasy or illusion. I myself must confess that I have clung to some of my own illusions far too long. I must also confess that sometimes I have been reluctant to let go of these illusions for fear that Myron’s statement might not be true. However, in my inner being, deep down where it counts, I know it is true.

A simple illustration makes it quite clear: a real tree is more beautiful and captivating than any representation of a tree on canvas or in sculpture. Yet, I find myself drifting back to cherished illusions from time to time in spite of the better part of myself pleading with me to drop that bad habit. Maybe you find yourself doing the same sometimes. I don’t think I am alone in this practice.

Often we do not know our fiction is not reality. Adults taught some of our illusions to us when we were very young. They were our gods and we believed them. Like me, now adult on good days, other adults still cling to illusions which they share with their children and others. The cycle goes on “We are prone to cling to our illusions in a life or death manner until truth punctures the balloon…” from generation to generation. We are prone to cling to our illusions in a life or death manner until truth punctures the balloon of our illusion. So long as we hold on to these illusions we are going to act on them as if they were true.

When truth does pierce our defenses and we have this “Aha!” experience of hearing or seeing truth, we find that we can’t get our illusions to work for us the way they once did. The air, the life, has gone out of them. But oh how it hurts to give up an old familiar friend. Truth will make you free but first it may make you miserable. This misery is not the nature of the truth itself. The misery is produced by our poverty of wisdom being exposed, our delusion of grandeur crumbling, our deception of self being revealed by the light of God’s truth and reality.

Many of us have had illusions about what is going to happen for us someday. Such dreams as “One day my ship is going to come in,” or “I’m going to win the lottery,” or “Taxes and death are going to go away” are ways we express this. Others have had illusions that disappointments from childhood are going to be corrected by the very same people that contributed to the disappointments.

Such illusory expectations are what contribute to the “holiday blues” when children, returning to family gatherings once again, get only what the people had to offer in the first place. Many times the family members don’t even know they hurt the person. They are just unaware, not necessarily malicious. Other times they are very aware and wish they could take back their hurtful behavior or words.

One little girl I know used to write beautiful Mother’s Day cards telling her mother she was the best mother a person could have. This was her illusion and for the time she held on to it, maybe it was all she had to give her hope. The reality was that the mother never wrote, never called, never visited. Truth will heal this when this young lady is strong enough to hear the truth. The healing process will take time.

You see, that is one of God’s grace gifts. He never makes us face the truth until we are strong enough to handle it. People aren’t always as capable of discerning when to express the truth as God is. Our timing is sometimes off. Also, it is very important to speak the truth in love. God does, we often don’t. A little bit of sugar helps the medicine go down they say. I believe that is true.

What is truth? Like love, I’ll be doggone if I can define it. None of us can. We try to get words around it, but both truth and love are too big for our words. God has revealed truth and love in Jesus Christ. Still we don’t grasp it on a regular basis. On occasions when we experience love or truth from another fellow struggler on the journey towards God’s eternal truth and love, we know it, and at least for that moment we have experienced love. Our defenses and darkness have been penetrated and we say, “That rings true.” Thank God we have many such moments in life that guide and enlighten us. Thank God these moments of truth heal. Thank God for His mercy that doesn’t destroy all our illusions at once. And remember, the truth will set you free. Paul makes that clear in Galatians 5:1. (We’ll talk about what freedom is another day. It too, is one of those realities you have to experience.)

*Editor’s Note: Doug Ezell is director of The Methodist Home for Children in New Orleans. He sends out a monthly newsletter. He is former Professor of New Testament and Christian Ethics at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. This editor counts him a close, personal friend. I thought this article had application, (though certainly not Doug’s intent) to the struggle we all have accepting the truth that the SBC has changed forever.

June 1997