Thinkaloud | Of scaffolds & thrones

Truths to be grasped | Maxwell Ryan

Does it really matter if one person holds to the truth, despite the fact that most do not? Does it make any difference to the workings of the universe when people are honest, or is untruth just as acceptable? Surely lies and deceptions are all right when they support a good cause, or are they? Is honesty always the best policy, or is truth merely one of many commodities available to the consumer?

Questions such as these assume that there is a universal standard of truth that moral principles exist, and that people are born with a sense of right and wrong. Indeed, Christian - such as C. S. Lewis - and non-Christian thinkers through the ages have recognized the existence of and written about “the natural law.” By this they mean the law of God, which is “part of the equipment” that people receive at birth, and which is part of what it means to be human.

Despite modern contentions that objective truth does not exist, that matters of veracity and morality are subjective experiences and there many truths, all of which are relative, scientists know that the universe simply does not operate in such a haphazard manner. For instance, mathematics, which is the foundation of space travel, is truth that is built into the nature of the universe. The chemical mix of the air we breathe is completely accurate; there is no room for error.

The truth of the world around us did not just happen; this truth reflects the nature of the Creator, who has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ. He, as the Bible states, is “the Truth.” He is the definitive Person by whom all persons are measured. What He says and what He does provides the standard for human life. Anything else is false and misleading and leads to disaster.

Even though our society has departed far from biblical standards we must not assume that these principles of truth, justice, holy living and compassion are outmoded. How could these building blocks of the moral universe be obsolete?

The American poet James Russell Lowell has captured the tension between appearance and reality. In memorable words he echoes the Psalmist’s complaint that evil always seems to prosper at the expense of truth; that wrong seems dominant.

Truth forever on the scaffold,
Wrong forever on the throne -

However, he points to the lively interest that God has in the affairs of men and women, giving an eternal perspective that is sorely needed in our time.

Yet that scaffold sways the future,
And, behind the dim unknown,
Standeth God within the shadow,
Keeping watch above His own.

The writer of the hymn “Onward, Christian soldiers,” which is popularly associated with The Salvation Army, further encourages with these words:

Crowns and thrones may perish,
Kingdoms rise and wane,
But the Church of Jesus
Constant will remain.
Gates of Hell can never
‘Gainst the Church prevail;
We have Christ’s own promise,
And that cannot fail.

These are truths to be grasped, to be understood, and by which to live.

Writer: Lieut.-Colonel Maxwell Ryan is a former Editor in Chief in Canada and the UK. In retirement he is a copy editor of theRubicon and the author of two series on theRubicon - Resurrected Writers and Thinkaloud.

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