PLEASE. No more Unlived Truth

I want lived truth. Truth that will help me in my everyday life, but so much of what I receive is unlived truth. Please stop trafficking unlived truth.

I’m trying to limit my contact with a lot of unlived truth.

Open up social media and most of its fluff and nonsense. Designed to grab your attention and hold it while some faraway giant computer takes note that ‘This is really what they want more of’.

The other day I spent a little too much time on a particular post about wireless microphones. I then clicked a link, and now I am seeing more and more ads for wireless microphones. We live in a world where, if we dwell on garbage for a few seconds too long, we will soon see a garbage truck dump at our front door.

That previous paragraph is what I would call ‘lived truth.’

It’s the kind of truth that you can connect to.

You know it.
I know it.
Your neighbour’s dog knows it,
but we often forget it and need reminding.

One of my favourite writing quotes is this:

Our great problem is the problem of trafficking in unlived truth.
We try to communicate what we’ve never experienced in our own life. Dwight L Moody

Dwight L Moody is no modern social media spam junkie. He was a preacher in the late 1800’s.

Here are some questions.

What kind of truth are you been trafficked?
What kind of truth do you most need?
How do you sniff out the good stuff?

Unlived truth vs. Lived truth

Here are some comparisons between the two.

Could you add to the chart?

Why do you speak to the people in stories?

I think the followers of Jesus had the same issue as us.

They had been presented with years and years of unlived truth and then suddenly Jesus comes along and speaks lived truth to them in such a way that exploded their thinking.

In the Bible there is a chapter of Jesus’ teaching which is full of stories – little parables. Truth that would resonate with the lived experienced of those listening.

After Jesus had said one of these little stories, some of his followers came and asked him a question.

His disciples came and asked him, “Why do you use parables when you talk to the people?”

He replied, “You are permitted to understand the secrets of the Kingdom of Heaven, but others are not.

To those who listen to my teaching, more understanding will be given, and they will have an abundance of knowledge. But for those who are not listening, even what little understanding they have will be taken away from them. That is why I use these parables,

For they look, but they don’t really see.
They hear, but they don’t really listen or understand. Matthew 13:10-13

Jesus was saying that some people are open and ready for truth. They will hear the story, parable, life-experience and a truth seed will germinate in their lives that will grow and take over their entire world.

Lived truth does that.

Where do you find lived truth?

One of my favorite TV shows is border control.

I think to find truth, that resonates, you have to be like one of those sniffer dogs at the airport looking for contraband.

It’s drug trafficking they are after.

We are into truth trafficking.

I have a sniffer dog nose for truth.

I have trained my eyes and eyes for the good stuff. The real-life stories.

I want to glean all the truth that others have hard won. I am hungry for it, and I think you are too.

Where do I find it?

In the conversations that we have. Go deep and you will find nuggets. It could also be in the biographies and memoirs you read. Some of the sermons and podcasts you listen to.

Jesus said, ‘If you’ve got ears to hear you will hear’ so if you have got your nose ready to smell, then you will smell out the lived truth from the unlived truth.

Why this matters for Mental Health?

For mental health, some of the best support and advice you will receive is from those who have been there and done that for a long time. They have sifted the advice and have found out what works for them.

Questions?
Comments?
Email me 🙂📨
barry@turningthepage.co.nz

Give a little gift to keep the pages turning

Quotes to consider

Yes, “the truth will set you free” as Jesus says (John 8:32), but first it tends to make you miserable. Richard Rohr.
I do not believe that sheer suffering teaches. If suffering alone taught, all the world would be wise, since everyone suffers. To suffering must be added mourning, understanding, patience, love, openness and the willingness to remain vulnerable. All these and other factors combined, if the circumstances are right, can teach and can lead to rebirth. Anne Morrow Lindbergh
If no meaning can be given to human suffering, if our wounds are not capable of becoming sacred wounds, the human project is surely doomed to a blaming war of all against all. The future would then be full of scapegoats and victims. Richard Rohr
Diamonds are found only in the dark places of the earth; truths are found only in the depths of thought. Victor Hugo Les Misérables
Suffering often shapes and teaches us and precedes most significant resurrections. Richard Rohr

Questions to answer

What grabs your attention the most? Lived truth hard one or unlived truth?
Could you add another difference between lived truth and unlived truth?
Where do you find truth that connects deeply with you?

Formation exercise

For a week, notice what grabs your attention and resonates with you. How much is it lived truth?