B191. Is Truth Deeper than Words?

 I remember, as a child, picking up from my schoolmates that it was OK to lie if we had our fingers crossed. Even at that young age, I thought this was flawed, but it seemed good to have a loophole. I questioned it more after someone told me they had their legs crossed. Who is making up the rules, I remember asking myself.

Even as adults, we hear people justifying their untruths by their words. "I didn't exactly say that. My exact words were . . ." And this strategy of not exactly lying in words is used constantly by advertisers, politicians, and biased media. We are manipulated to "hear" a particular idea, but the actual words don't really spell it out. Is it truth then? Is it lie? 

I remember childhood questions in Sunday School about whether it was ever OK to lie. Such thought-provoking discussions are important for developing critical thinking and deeper morality in children, and in adults too. Is it OK to lie/cheat in order to pass a test? to win a game? to convert someone to your faith? to get an age discount? to save a life? to get a day off? to pay less taxes? to avoid hurting someone's' feelings? to make more money? Does the end justify the means?

Can we recognize when we are being misled? Take, for example, being led to vote for a particular candidate based on gas prices. Imagine if the gas prices during party A's last term ranged from 2.79 to 4.09, and the prices during party B's term had the same range. Either party could claim "When we were in control, gas cost 2.79, and when the other party was in control, gas cost 4.09. Technically, these words would be 'true" from either side. But are they?

Is Truth really about words, or is Truth something deeper than utterances?

Jesus claimed to be the Truth. Did he mean something deeper than words? (Why did he not just say he tells the truth?) Are we satisfied with where we measure up?

We all draw our own lines. Of the eleven questions in paragraph three above, I would personally answer yes to two of them. Well, maybe more like one and a half. What about you?

If our intent is to deceive, do our "true" words trump the deception? Is this a game like crossing our fingers? Who's making the rules? Whose standard am I following? And you?

Does it even matter?

I say, yes, yes, it matters a lot. Yes, Truth is deeper than words. And yes, if we find that deeper Truth within ourselves, we will strive to make our words match that inner Truth, because that is at the core of who we are: the core of me, the core of you, the core of them.

You might also like:

B65. FOX News, Truth, and Me Playing Basketball

B146: Fake News: The Smeller's the Feller

B190. Personal Inventory 2024

 

Church

Church was the main theme of my 2024.The year marked my 12th year at First Presbyterian, and it was an active one for me. I trained and was recommissioned as a Ruling Elder, to serve my second term 2024-2027. Related to that service, I also became a part of the Personnel Team and the Elder to the Volunteers Team.

I continued as a Stephen Ministry Leader, and as one of the rotating leaders of the Outlook Sunday School class; and I had several official one-on-one relationships in the church, including as a Stephen Ministry care giver, as a mentor to a confirmand (and an unofficial one to another), as a liaison to a staff member, and as a shepherd to a new member.

With the Race & Justice Ministry Team, I participated in a book study, served at Rowan Helping Ministries, and attended the summer social and several meetings. I spoke at a Church Women United meeting about our Race & Justice ministry, and I met with other RJMT and community leaders to plan a trolley event for the local 2025 Juneteenth celebration.

I was one of the speakers at the Good Friday service, giving the meditation for Jesus' "Why have you forsaken me?" saying from the cross. I was the worship assistant / liturgist for both services one Sunday, a sort of emcee position, including prayers and Scripture reading. I participated in a Wellness service, anointing our associate pastor for his sabbatical. And I shared my Faith Statement in both services one Sunday. 

I participated in the churchwide overnight Retreat at Caraway, the Ash Wednesday service and the Longest Night service, was a course guide for the TWAM 5K, and rode the church trolley in the Holiday Spectacular Parade.

Writings

Writing is always an important theme in my life, from personal journal writing to scattered events around my Childress Cousins book.

This year I published three "Dear Neighbor" articles in the Salisbury Post: one about the First Presbyterian Race & Justice Ministry (also published in the Presbyterian USA Mission Yearbook), and two others entitled "Prejudice Does Not Mean Hate" and "The Third Commandment and Politics."

I made 13 short blog posts, mostly of commentaries I originally wrote as Facebook posts:

B177. Epiphany

B178. Separating Prejudice, Discrimination, and Racism

B179. Never Forget

B180. White Nationalism: It's Not of God

B181. Following the Real Jesus

B182. Life Is Like a Deck of Cards

B183. Women's Suffrage Anniversary

B184. The Last Fourth of July?

B185. The Third Commandment

B186. Imane Khelif and Binary Thinking

B187. Ear Wash

B188. Truth and Political Lies

B189. Antichrist

Books

 Black History, Politics, Religious Politics, and Anne of Green Gables were recurring reading themes this year. I listen to audiobooks via the Libby app while I drive or clean. I read or listened to 62 books this year, listed here in the order of their publication. Those listed in bold print are especially recommended, and those in red, even more so.

Christmas Short Stories (Charles Dickens, 1800s, audio) 2011 audio collection
Anne of Green Gables (Lucy Maud Montgomery, 1908, audio) classic fiction
Anne of Avonlea (Lucy Maud Montgomery, 1909, audio) book 2 in series
Anne of the Island (Lucy Maud Montgomery, 1915, audio) book 3 in series
Anne’s House of Dreams (Lucy Maud Montgomery, 1917, audio) book 5 in series, marriage

Rainbow Valley (Lucy Maud Montgomery, 1919, audio) Anne series book 7
In Our Time (Ernest Hemingway, 1925, audio) short stories
Men Without Women (Ernest Hemingway, 1927, audio) short stories
The Sound and the Fury (William Faulkner, 1929, audio) classic fiction
Life Together (Dietrich Bonhoeffer, 1939, 1954 in English, audio) theology for Christian community

Black Boy (Richard Wright, 1945, audio) autobiography
Notes of a Native Son (James Baldwin, 1955, audio)
To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee, 1960, audio, repeat) classic fiction, southern, race
Nobody Knows My Name (James Baldwin, 1961, audio) autobiographical
The Fire Next Time (James Baldwin, 1963, audio) civil rights letters

Black Theology & Black Power (James Cone, 1969, audio) liberation theology
Rubyfruit Jungle (Rita Mae Brown, 1973, audio, repeat) coming of age novel
The Devil Finds Work (James Baldwin, 1976, audio) Baldwin on films
The Road Less Traveled (M. Scott Peck, 1978, audio) nonfiction, psychotherapy, spirituality
Many Waters (Madeleine L’Engle, 1986, audio) fantasy fiction, time travel, Noah

In the Name of Jesus (Henri Nouwen, 1989) Reflections on Christian Leadership
Poor Things (Alasdair Gray, 1992, audio) Frankensteinesque fiction
Malcolm X: By Any Means Necessary (1993, Walter Dean Myers, audio) biography
Sisters of the Yam (bell hooks, 1993, audio) nonfiction; black women support
Jesus’ Alternative Plan: The Sermon on the Mount (1996, Richard Rohr) nonfiction

Fantastic Beasts (J.K. Rowling, 2001, audio) magical creatures in Harry Potter world
The Cellist of Sarajevo (Steven Galloway, 2008, audio) novel set in Bosnian war
Selected Shorts: Let Us Tell You a Story: New American Series (NPR, 2011, audio)
True Stories (Jon Scieszka, 2014, audio) 10 true short stories for youth
Echo (Pam Munoz Ryan, 2016, audio) youth historical fiction, 4 connected stories, WWII, music

The Girl Who Drank the Moon (Kelly Barnhill, 2016, audio) fantasy fiction

The Great Spiritual Migration (Brian D. McLaren, 2016) nonfiction, Christianity
Letters to My Daughter (Tim Orr, 2017) memoir: death, down-syndrome, religious
Rising Strong as a Spiritual Practice (Brene Brown, 2017, audio) non-fiction
Big God Big Questions: Confirmation for a Growing Faith (Home/Mentor Guide, 2018)

Black Fortunes (Shomari, Wills, 2018) America’s first black millionaires, biographies
Elevation (Stephen King, 2018, audio) novella about neighbors, short story “Laurie” about dog; fiction
The Night Watchman (Louise Erdrich, 2020, audio) historical fiction, Chippewa Turtle Mountain reservation
The Vanishing Half (Brit Bennett, 2020, audio) novel; light-skinned African-American twin sisters
The Three Mothers (Anna Malaika, 2021, audio) mothers of MLK, Malcolm X, & James Baldwin; bio

You Are Your Best Thing (Tarana Burke , Brene Brown, 2021, audio) psychology, black experience
The Comfort Book (Matt Haig, 2021, audio) nonfiction
Good Enough (Kate Bowler & Jessica Richie, 2022, audio) devotional
When Women Were Dragons (Kelly Barnhill, 2022) fantasy fiction, feminist
Lessons in Chemistry (Bonnie Garmus, 2022, audio) novel; women, 1950s-60s

The Tobacco Wives (Adele Myers, 2022, audio) historic novel; wealthy Southern women, 1940s
Democracy Awakening (Heather Cox Richardson, 2023) nonfiction, American history
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store (James McBride, 2023, audio) fiction, racism, antisemitism, 1920s-30s
The Gospel According to James Baldwin (Greg Garrett, 2023) nonfiction
Oath and Honor (Liz Cheney, 2023, audio) political memoir & warning

The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory (Tim Alberta, 2023, audio) evangelicalism & politics
The Crane Husband (Kelly Barnhill, 2023, audio) fantasy fiction
The Black Box (Henry Louis Gates, Jr., 2024, audio) black literature & history
The Anxious Generation (Johathan Haidt, 2024, audio) nonfiction; cell phones & mental illness
The Exvangelicals (Sarah McCammon, 2024, audio) nonfiction

The False White Gospel (Jim Wallis, 2024, audio) reclaiming the faith from Christian Nationalism
Becoming Madame Secretary (Stephanie Dray, 2024, audio) historical novel, Frances Perkins
All the Colors of the Dark (Chris Whitaker, 2024, audio) fiction, murder mystery, set in 1970s
The Briar Club (Kate Quinn, 2024, audio) historical fiction, McCarthyism
The Sweet Smell of Rain (Tom Perry, 2024) raw memoir of a biological father and daughter

The Serviceberry (Robin Wall Kimmerer, 2024) nonfiction; lessons from nature
Something Lost, Something Gained (Hillary Clinton, 2024) nonfiction, personal reflections

Other Highlights

Other than usual trips to VA, I didn't do much traveling this year. I saw the Northern Lights, a bucket list check off, for the first time, from my own house in Salisbury NC. I made three trips to the beach, and a trip to Richmond to see Broadway's To Kill a Mockingbird starring Richard Thomas.

Theatrically, I also saw The Music Man by the Piedmont Players, and the Phoenix Readers' Banned Books and Holiday productions, and attended a special pre-opening day private viewing of the movie Wicked. In visual arts, I saw several exhibits including the Carolina Artists' show and the Julian Robertson Collection (Picasso, Renoir, Monet, et.al.)  in Salisbury.

I was an active member of Women for Community Justice, attending monthly meetings, the annual retreat, and a Black Women Lead panel discussion, speaking at a Board of Elections meetings to advocate for weekend voting, and assisting in a vigil to honor Sonya Massey.

I worked in the Early Voting polls for both the Primary and the General Election. I watched on-line a 6-part seminar about Critical Race Theory and the Church, from Hood Seminary. I attended the Black History Month, Easter, and Christmas concerts of the Jubilee Community Choir. I attended Salisbury's Pride event, and I handed out voting guides on election day.

I participated in Trivia Night monthly with my "Brainy Bunch" teammates. I attended Hurley Park's Spring Fling and G Mobley's piano recital. I helped plan birthday gatherings for Betty and Darlene, and I attended memorial services in honor of H Matthieu, F Clawson, R Kidd, A Childress, and my aunt J Vestal.

In my leisure time, I continue to play "Words With Friends" and "Puzzle Page" (apps), and I worked two jigsaw puzzles, one of Richmond Hill Law School and one of San Francisco. I also binge watched more TV shows than usual, on Hulu, Netflix, Prime, Disney+, Peacock TV, PBS, and YouTube TV at various times of the year: 

The Good Place seasons 1-4 (2016-2020) sitcom about the afterlife 

All the Light We Cannot See (2023) miniseries: WWII, shortwave radio

Young Sheldon seasons 5-6 (2022-2023) Big Bang Theory spinoff

The Crown seasons 5-6 (2022-2023) British royal family

Atypical seasons 1-4 (2017-2021) sitcom, autism

Testament: The Story of Moses (2024) miniseries, multicultural story of Moses

Anne with an E seasons 1-3 (2017-2019) based on Anne of Green Gables book series

Harry & Meghan (2022) miniseries, British royal prince

Disco: Soundtrack of a Revolution (2024) miniseries, history of disco music & culture

Abbott Elementary season 3 (2024) sitcom, elementary teachers

The Bear season 3 (2024) drama, high end restaurant management

Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol (1 season, 2021) based on the novel

Movies

I saw 27 movies this year, listed here in order of release date. Those listed in bold print are especially recommended, and those in red, even more so. An asterix means I saw it in the theatre.

Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967, repeat) Sydney Portier, interracial couple
Labyrinth (1985) fantasy, Jim Henson, David Bowie
Diehard (1988) action, violence
The Birdcage (1996, repeat) comedy, “La Cage aux Folles”
In & Out (1997) comedy

Bonhoeffer: Agent of Grace (2000) Dietrich Bonhoeffer bio
Two Soldiers (2003) based on Faulkner short story, filmed Yadkin County, Winston ...
Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) fantasy
Couples Retreat (2009) romcom
Tangled (2010) Rapunzel, Disney

Stonewall Uprising (2010, PBS, documentary) 1969 gay riots in NY
Oz, the Great & Powerful (2013) wizard’s back story
The Brainwashing of My Dad (2015) documentary, right-wing media
Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales (2017) fantasy
Feminists: What Were They Thinking? (2018, Netflix) documentary

Charming the Hearts of Men (2021) set in 1963 South
King Richard (2021) Venus & Serena Williams
Where the Crawdads Sing (2022) based on novel
Maestro (2023) Leonard Bernstein bio
Oppenheimer (2023) historical, WWII Manhattan Project, atomic bomb

*Origin (2024) based on Wilkerson’s “Caste”
Shirley (2024) Shirley Chisholm 1972 presidential campaign
Bad Faith (2024) documentary about Christian Nationalism
Thelma (2024) comedy; grandma scammed
**Wicked (2024, twice) Wicked Witch of the West’s back story, Part 1

The Six Triple Eight (2024 Netflix) WWII black female battalion, mail duty

Book of Mormon bootleg recording of Broadway show

Health

My two major health challenges this year were carried over from past years: torticollis (involuntary neck turn, with spasticity) and an apparent severe dairy allergy with intolerances to fried, fatty, or processed foods. The spasticity in my neck has worsened this year, with an x-ray suggesting I have a compression fracture in my spinal column. More testing possibly to come. I compensate for the torticollis by strategically choosing my seat, for the best angle toward the speaker, etc.

The food issues have not improved, but my adjustment to them has. I keep a growing list of restaurants that have something on the menu I can eat. These are mostly ethnic: Turkish, Mediterranean, Asian, Latin American - and also health-conscious businesses like Juice Life in Salisbury. My current favorite is the vegan plate at Sultan Kebab (authentic Turkish) in Charlottesville. Other favorites are Chai Dhaba (Indian) at the Farmer's Market in Staunton, Gloria's Pupuseria (Ecuadorian) in Staunton, and Sabaidee (Thai) and LA Murph's (health-conscious salads and sandwiches) in Salisbury. Still, at an average of about once a month, I accidentally eat something that causes me to throw up. Often I don't know what it was.

I continue my Stretch & Balance class twice a week, and I added a couple of short-term gentle yoga classes through the year. These help my neck, as do my monthly OMT appointments. And I walk in the park weekly with my walking buddy for more than an hour, about two miles. I still wear a leg brace when I walk distances, so my foot doesn't drop, causing me to trip. I also worked out about twice a week on exercise machines. Over the span of the year, I averaged 34 minutes per day in intentional exercise.

I have seen improvement in one physical challenge this year: the odd issue of not being able to stand in one place without leaning on something. Though I still like to lean, it is more about my neck now than the past frightening neurological trauma that would come over me.

Looking Ahead To 2025

I will continue with my church commitments. I will continue to do all I can for my best health and hope to find a fix for my neck issues. I will continue to journal, and to write for publication when I have the time and inspiration. I would love to decide on my next book and get started on it.

The older I get the more certain I am that life is all about relationships. Not work, money, houses, adventure, or religion, but the friends, family, and God with whom we share the journey, and those who will journey after us.

My deepest prayer for 2025 is for national, state, and universal healing. For Truth above Tyranny.  For Humanity above Politics. For Christ above Christianity. My dear friends, may we make it so. Selah.

Photos:

1. Northern Lights visible at my house in Salisbury NC

2. one of my Salisbury Post articles

3. books I was reading on a random day in March

4. To Kill a Mockingbird marquee

5. North Myrtle Beach, SC

10. Vegan Plate at Sultan Kebab, Charlottesville, VA

B189. Antichrist

 I grew up in the 1960s and 70s as almost part of the woodwork of Charity Baptist Church in Boonville, NC. My family was there every Sunday morning, Sunday evening, Wednesday evening, and any other time the doors were open. In Vacation Bible School I pledged allegiance to the Bible and memorized Bible passages. In Sunday School I participated in “Bible Drills,” racing to be the first to find a called out Bible verse. My family “read the Bible through in a year” at the dinner table, and my mom and I played Bible board games.

In those childhood years, I remember hearing many sermons warning us about the coming of “the antichrist,” “anti” meaning “opposite of.” The antichrist would be a world-known leader, a christ/savior figure from the dark side, a satan, attracting and pulling away multitudes of followers. He would spew blasphemy and lies, stand for everything Christ did not, and be everything anti-Christ.

As a child, I could not imagine why anyone would follow such a man.

(1 Jn 2:18; 2:22; 4:3; 2 Jn 1:7; Jn 8:44; 1 Cor 15:33; Gal 5:22-23, Mt 24:5)

B188. Truth and Political Lies

We are now less than one month from Election Day, and our political wars have made most of us a little crazy. Friends, expect ridiculous lies between now and Nov 5. If it immediately angers you, stop, look for the ORIGINAL source, think twice before reposting, and try to avoid cable news sources and Facebook bait.

Lies are a political strategy. Many of the liars don't expect us to believe all their lies. The larger plan is that we stop believing anything, even the Truth, because we can't discern one from the other. This is dangerous - to our politics, our society, and ourselves - to live without Honesty and Truth.

God, teach us wisdom and discernment, and remind us to guard our hearts and minds watchfully through these next few weeks. Amen

(Suggested Readings, Videos, and News Sources: Orwell's Animal Farm and 1984, Huxley's Brave New World, Alberta's The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory, The Gospel of Matthew, The Matrix, Bad Faith, NBC, CBS, ABC, NPR, PBS)

B187. Ear Wash

I went to the dr. this morning for an ear wash. The nurse was very apologetic for wetting much more of me than my ears. I repeatedly assured her that getting wet didn't bother me in the least. I just wanted to hear again.

Sometimes in the past, this process has been painful, or, almost always, uncomfortable. After the nurse finished, as she continued to apologize for wetting my clothes, I sincerely thanked her and told her this was my most pleasant ear washing experience ever. Her expression changed dramatically. With a broad smile, she said, "Really? This was my first time."

Thank you, God, that I was my best self today, and you could use me to give a new nurse the confidence she deserves!

B186. Imane Khelif and Binary Thinking

Imane Khelif, Algerian Olympic boxer. If your social media rhythms perceived you as politically right, you have probably seen the anger-generating memes about her being a biological man competing as a woman. The truth, it seems, is more complicated than that. According to fact-checker Snopes, USA Today, and numerous other reliable media sources, she has been female from birth, Yet, last year she was allegedly DNA tested and found to have XY chromosomes. (This too is questionably Russian propaganda, but I’ll let you look that up.)

This is a teachable moment for us all, if we allow it to be. Science has long known that gender is not clearly binary. Binary means either one or the other. Like there are many grays between white and black, and many heights between tall and short, and many variations even within “tall.”  

I remember in my General Psychology class in 1983 learning that some babies are born with ambiguous genitalia. In more advanced classes we learned that it’s not as unusual as we might guess, and that parents might be asked which gender they want the hospital to surgically assign them, ignoring that one’s gender affects us mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and psychologically, not just physically.

Why do we not talk about this? Well, let’s consider. If you were that parent and thought that this was some kind of freak occurrence (because no one talks about it), you would probably keep the secret forever, probably even from the child. Fortunately, now with the internet, people are able to learn that they are not alone. 

If we can come to accept one shade of gray, it becomes easier to see that there are an infinite number of grays between the binary extremes of black and white, of female and male, of heterosexual and homosexual, of conservative and liberal, etc. We will begin to see the many aspects of life as the continuums they are, rather than the binaries we have assumed.

I do not know Imane, and I do not know her physical story. Nor am I in any position to judge whether she should or should not be allowed to compete. I do hope those in such positions, and you and I before we form our opinions, will look to science, reason, and humanity, not to politics.

B185. The Third Commandment

 I used to think taking God’s name in vain meant saying words like "damn" or "hell" or "God" as an expletive, but the third commandment is far deeper than any mere utterance. It is about manipulation, about using God’s name to manipulate others for our own gain.

When I was in seminary, there was an oft-repeated joke that the few women on campus were there to get our MRS degrees. During my 2 ½ years there, three different male students told me that God told them they would marry me. By the third time, I had my ready response: "When God tells me the same thing, we’ll do it." If I was to believe all their assertions, God wanted me to have three husbands?

Once when I was serving on a Pastor Search Committee (I’ve served on three), a candidate told us that God told him we were the church for him. One trusting committee member was ready to hire him on the spot because God said so. I repeated my same response: "When God tells us the same thing, we’ll do it."

We are currently all living through an election season that promises to be a wild ride, filled with drama, AI-generated deception, foreign bot interference, and every imaginable type of manipulation like we have never seen before. The manipulators aim for our gullibility, hitting us where we are most likely to succumb. For many of us, they know that is our religious faith.

Be wary of the Facebook memes, church leaders, or candidates themselves comparing candidates to Jesus or manipulating Scripture for political purposes. Be wary of anyone’s interpretation of the bullet. While we can be glad and thankful that the bullet missed, to make political assertions about God’s interference or intentions goes beyond the human scope and opens questions of why God did not care to protect the fireman, or the Holocaust victims, or lynching victims, or victims of school and church massacres.

Before reposting a meme or internalizing or repeating something you heard, ask yourself: "Is God’s name being used in vain to manipulate my vote?" We are in for a wild three and a half months, but we can do this if we stay alert.