The Brilliance of Truth

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"It was a brilliant prairie day that shone in my memory, like the first time I discovered that birthdays meant presents. The sun beamed down from a cloudless sky, and the wind moved relentlessly through the field of tombstones, bowing the sparse trees in dutiful adulation.

As I stood there, my thoughts of those who slept here were painted with faces and stories of a time when life was not as charitable. Even in death, these resilient and enduring people steel their faces to the inhospitality of an unforgiving land. Their very presence on this prairie hill behind the tiny white church presents an astonishing concept. These people dealt directly with the reality of life. This prairie cemetery brought to mind a blinding flash of the obvious: what has changed in the translation of reality, and what has happened to truth?

What is truth? Yes, it is a pretty weighty subject. History is full of examples of interpreting experiences that lead to a perception of truth. In most of the world's wars, truth has been the under-girding of conflict and, in the end, defined by the victors. Today's world is full of factions, all claiming to have a corner on the truth. However, reality reveals that none of us do and that all of us do. If we were in a philosophy class, most likely, the basic assumption would be that truth is personal. In this thinking, both perceptions are accurate even if there are two diametrically opposing positions. If that is correct, we have adeptly brought ourselves back to the starting point. Is there such a thing as truth?

At this point, the observation is that life provides us with experiences that teach lessons. Those lessons come from personal experience or the witness of other incidents that report the appearance of truth in events and times commonly recognized as genuine. This common recognition is essential and can be identified inside most individual, cultural, and societal narratives if provided with the opportunity. In each of the stories that every human carries around, there is a place, acknowledged or ignored, that we all share. That simple truth is the foundation for all others. Brazen as it may sound, in a world that embraces differences, our similarities will bring us together and, in doing so, define truth itself.

Recognizing common ground is the knowledge that will change the world from the bottom to the top. Knowledge is the beginning of wisdom, and wisdom enables credible action. Credible action leads to civil dialogue. Civil dialogue highlights the value of common truths. This builds sensitivity and respect for those who look different but, in reality, are just the same. This common truth, remembered on the wind-swept hill with its stone monuments, is humankind's only hope and always has been.