THE “TROOF”

There’s a reason why the truth intimidates us so. Better yet there’s several. The first principal reason the truth is offensive to people is that it often flies squarely in the face of materialism. People smarter than I wax eloquent on the airwaves defending strange  assertions that present money as the end all be all. When Ron Artest had beer thrown on him in 2004 and ran up into the stands to “consult” fans about it, the lion’s share of blame was placed on the men who threatened the profit margin, the players. Money is some kind of task master. A submission to truth would see fans reprimanded en mass for derogatory behavior that denigrates other human beings. In other spheres, people would have you believe that even the modern church is a business. I assure you it is not supposed to be but that is an offensive truth.

Secondly, the naked truth threatens fraudulent ways of life for us all. Promiscuity, neglecting family and monetary greed are dubbed undeserving targets of religious prudence but dude, we all know the truth on that subject. So the world creates convenient ways for us to stew in our own juices comfortably.

Third, the unclad truth says that if you are kind, occasionally generous and focused on self-advancement you still lack. Truth be told, and it always should be, you are entitled only one thing  in this world – the prerogative to align your life with the system created for your success. The truth makes you change not only what you do but how you think about what you do. It affects your perception of the great God who created and saved you from…YOU!

I stood behind my car today right before running basketball practice and thought about character. I thought about how school programs promote character without the basis for it, how they espouse a higher standard of living in a vacuum. Character is rooted in only one place, eternal truth. Good habits alone leading to the livable dream are too shallow to anchor a true motivation for character development.  Anybody who’s been through any level of adversity knows that the basis for your character, your personhood, your moral/ethical quality can’t merely be based in college aspirations, careers and track housing. But that’s how we sell character. C’mon man!