Telling the truth
What’s the difference between truth and sincerity? Are they related? Inseparable? How can you tell them apart? On January 1, 1929, the University of California Golden Bears played the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the Rose Bowl. The winner would be the national champion. In a tight game, Cal team captain Roy Riegels picks up a fumble by Stumpy Thomasen a mere 30 yards away from the end zone. During the scramble, Riegels bounces off several players before running as hard as he can to score a touchdown. The crowd of 60,000 was going wild, players were trying to chase him down. He was giving it everything. Only thing was, he was heading in the wrong direction. He finally realized it and ended up stopping at the one-yard line. As a result of his mistake, Georgia Tech eventually scored a 2-point safety and went on to win the game 8-7. That play earned him the nickname, Roy “Wrong-Way” Riegels, and has long been celebrated as one of the biggest blunders in college football history.
There’s a difference between sincerely believing in something and the truth. Roy Riegels was sincerely trying to help his team, sincerely trying to score a touchdown. Only, he was heading in the wrong direction. Sincerity is our subjective belief that something is right and defendable. It’s our earnest faith in something. Truth, on the other hand, is objective. It doesn’t really care how you feel about it. Here’s a simple example: we may sincerely believe, with all our heart, that the sky is green. We may tell people, may write about its beauty, swear by it. But that doesn’t matter to the sky. It doesn’t change its color. They sky is blue, whether we choose to believe it is or not. Centuries ago, explorers swore the earth was flat. They believed it so strongly that they even drew maps showing edge of the world and the unknown abyss that lay beyond. Some sailors even attested to seeing the edge personally. But the earth isn’t flat. The truth is, it’s round. In 1514, a scientist named Nicolaus Copernicus published a 40-page manuscript suggesting that our solar system was actually heliocentric – or that planets orbited around the sun. Up until that time, the world believed that the earth was the center of everything. In fact, the Church of Rome – the most powerful entity in the world at that time – roundly disagreed with Copernicus, calling his model heretical. Their sincerity blinded them and delayed acceptance of the truth.
Here’s your takeaway: pour your energy into the truth. Just because we believe it, even to the point of defense, doesn’t mean we’re right. Question everything. Take a hard look at yourself, at what you believe. Do you have a plan that makes sense or, like Roy Riegels, are you running with all your might in the wrong direction? Scrutinize your beliefs, especially those you hold close. Look for evidence, proof that they are indeed true. Even my most precious beliefs – like my faith in Christ – is made more special, more precious because the crux of it – the crucifixion and resurrection – are surrounded by mountains of evidence. Even so, I know that I don’t know it all. I’m open to tweaking, questioning and refining. Curiosity and humility (acceptance that our road to the important truths is a marathon, not a sprint) makes me who I am and gives me faith that I have more to learn. That makes the truth even more valuable to me. Listening to other viewpoints, and seriously considering other perspectives makes me hungrier for the truth.
So today, be greedy for the truth, be open to change, reason and even a differing opinion. Test it. And, if the ball bounces your way, remember to get your bearings and run like the wind. Remember, I believe in you – and that’s the truth! Have a great day, Love dad!
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