The Truth Sessions, Vol. 3

Welcome to Volume 3 of The Truth Sessions! If you're just joining me on this little journey, The Truth Sessions is a series I started in which I ask people from all different walks of life their perspectives on truth and the role it plays in our lives. So far, I've interviewed Nicole White  and Collin Brace. Both had really interesting takes on the questions I asked, and I really enjoyed reading their thoughts, as I hope you did too!

Today I bring you answers from Melissa McCall. Melissa and her husband Barry lead a marriage mentor small group my husband and I are in. She is a mother of three kids (around my age), turns ordinary furniture into Pinterest-worthy works of art, and her e-mail address includes the phrase "momdabomb," which I think is awesome. I'm excited to share her perspective with you!

Do you believe in the existence of universal truths (that apply to all people)? Yes

What do you think truth is? Truth is an indisputable fact, proposition or principle.  It is the same over time, in all situations and does not shift.

Do you think truth is important? Why or why not?  Yes, I believe that truth is very important.  Truth forms my attitudes and beliefs, drives my purpose and mission, helps me to form my conviction and morality and affects my choices and behaviors.  Without truth, I would be like the shifting sand. I would live my life in a state of uncertainty and disorder.

What experiences in your life have led to your beliefs about truth? Obviously when we are young, many inputs in our world will contribute to what we believe to be true.  As humans, we will adjust facts or principles to often times "fit" our own agenda.  I believe that people often confuse the idea of truth with actual truth. If I based my whole belief about truth on science, I will find that scientists are changing what they have discovered or trying to disprove what I was once told was true.  If I put my belief about truth in the  hands of society, I will see that laws will change and social norms will evolve.By nature, I am a person who believes the best about people or situations.  I tend to trust people and situations at face value (or what I believed to be true). I have been disappointed many times when what I wanted to believe was true (an ideal, a promise, a person) ends up failing or being not at all what I thought it to be.  So, as I look back on my life, the one truth that I can point to, and that has not disappointed, is the truth of God's word. It is the one anchor on which I have been able to depend.

What is a statement, ideal, or principle about the human experience you have found to be proven most true throughout your life?  People all struggle to be "in control" of their lives.  I have learned that I cannot control all aspects of my life or another persons life.  If I do not lean upon something more powerful than myself, this world or the circumstances around me, I will fall into despair.  It is in those times when I finally let go of the control and let God be God in my life that I experience peace.  His ways are not always my ways, but His ways are always best for me.

I love her answer to the last question in particular. I definitely struggle with the desire to have control over my life.

Do you ever struggle to be in control of your life? If so, how?

The Truth Sessions, Vol. 2

Previously, on The Truth Sessions... I interviewed one of my very best friends, Nicole. You can see her answers here.

If you're just tuning in, (like all these old school T.V. references?) The Truth Sessions is a blog series I started a couple weeks ago. I am going to ask all kinds of people the same set of questions regarding truth and the role it plays in our stories, and see what comes out of it. I thought it would be interesting to hear all different perspectives on the subject.

This week I bring you thoughts from Collin Brace. I know Collin and his delightful wife, Katie, through my church. Collin works at a record label and is also the lead singer in a [ridiculously awesome] band called The CO. He's a stellar songwriter and, as all great songwriters are, a passionate person. Also, I learned from him that male bears sometimes do handstands against trees and see who can pee the highest. So there's that.

Here are Collin's answers to my questions:

Do you believe in absolute truth?

Yes (and No)

Truth to me is Jesus Christ. I believe there are physical truths with earthly constraints like gravity, pain, death and life. I believe in moral truths across the board but founded in scripture, which I believe is the litmus of all truth. I however don't believe things that are true in my life are true in others, for example: parents, love, joy, emotions of fear and success. Universally, these items exist in some form or another to everyone, but they don’t live in the same truth as everyone else. I had Godly parents growing up, but some of my friends did not. My emotions and truths about fear and joy are worlds different than my wife's.

This is why writing a great song is so difficult. You see I can easily write something that is focused on my truths, but a great songwriter broadens the scope to a relatable universal truth that isn't constrained to just his or her personal truth. Some may think that this limits the subject you can write about, and it would if you only stuck to the physical world... my loophole is my first truth, Jesus Christ.

If I'm writing about His truths by way of the personal experiences I've had about truth in my own life, then chances are I'm going to hit a heart chord with a broader emotion. In short, I want to use the truth Christ has proved in my life specifically to be a testament to Christ's truth to the world.

Do you think truth is important? Why or why not?

I think truth is so important. Like I said, I think truth is Jesus Christ and with out that truth as an anchor in your life, you might as well be lost as sea without a compass. Truths hold the world we see together... in place. When you think truth is one thing for a long time and you find out later it’s been a lie, how does your life react? Most of us fall apart, hide, tell another lie to keep us going... truth is important us because without it, we will naturally live in a false reality and ultimately live lost and hurt lives.

What experiences in your life have led to your beliefs about truth?

The fall of the entire existence of man is the result of believing a lie, I can't name one good thing or hurdle I've overcome where I didn't have to face a lie first. I've lived in lies in lengths of 26 years (my whole life). When you experience life on the dark side of a lie for a long time, it’s hard to turn down the freedom in truth when you experience it.

What is a statement, ideal, or principle about the human experience you have found to be proven most true throughout your life?

Love when love is hard, believe when faith is at its toughest pinnacle, and fight for joy. These three things have kept me going for a long time. I've also lived by the statement I heard one time "all noble things are difficult."

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Fight for joy. I love that.

Did anything in Collin's answers resonate with you? Do you disagree with any of his answers? I'd love to know your thoughts in the comments.