JC et al.--Living in Truth 2

Discerning Truth (and Lies)

 Approaching the 40^th anniversary of Tolkien's death in 1973

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 There I was at fault…I was lulled by the words of Saruman the Wise;

but I should have sought for the truth sooner,
and our peril would now be less....

And then alas! I let the matter rest, watching and waiting only,
as we have too often done.

Gandalf at the Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring, JRR Tolkien

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 If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure.

Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.

 Jesus Christ, John 8:31

JC et al.--Living in Truth 1

Totalitarian Lies

 Solzhenitsyn in a Soviet gulag. 1953--60 years ago

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'Let the lie come into the world,

let the lie even dominate the world--

but it will not come through me.' 

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Nobel Prize address 1970
 

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'If people do these things when the tree is green,

what will people do when the tree is dry?'

Jesus Christ, en route to Golgatha
Luke 23:31

 

 

MC New Year(nings)--5

Loving Truth and Peace

A new year's toast--to loving truth and peace.  
Napa Valley, California. ErinOD (c) 2012

In our lives:

Love truth and peace.

In our hearts:

Love truth and peace.

In our relationships:
Love truth and peace.

In our spheres of influence:

Love truth and peace.

Even when it is scary and risky:

Love truth and peace.

Even when there are negative consequences:
Love truth and peace.

Love truth and peace
and people.

*****

Do not fear. These are the things which you should do: speak the truth to one another; judge with truth and judge for peace in your courts. Also let none of you devise evil in your heart against another, and do not love perjury, for I hate all these things, declares YHWH....Therefore, love truth and peace. (Zechariah 8:14-19, excerpts, circa 520 BC)

Dysfunction and Lies

Translation:
A lie really has short legs.
(A lie does not travel very far)
But beware--the dirt sure sticks to you!
(Take heed--your health and reputation will still get damaged!)

*****

Denial of reality---distortion of reality.
Deceiving oneself---deceiving others.

These are core characteristics of dysfunction.

*****

Prudent people understand themselves

Foolish people deceive themselves

Proverbs 14:8

*****

Have you ever drawn a picture of "dysfunction"?

I have. Here it is, above.
I also gave it a title.
It's about "reality distortions"--you know, "lies."

***

Dysfunction dupes. Dysfunction is dirty.

Dysfunctional systems, like dysfunctional people,

dupe others and they play dirty.

***

Reflection and Discussion
Maybe you could draw a picture of dysfunction too.