The Truth is Rarely Told
By Col. Scott McChrystal
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It’s like clockwork. Daily, I talk with people who are greatly disturbed by the direction their life is heading. Just as often, I hear concerns about the path this country is traveling. It’s no exaggeration to say America is in deep trouble. If things don’t turn around, America as we know it will in the trash bin of nations that once held first place on the world stage.
You might ask, “How did this happen so quickly—and why?”
It’s tempting to bypass the real issues with a generic “It’s complicated.” I would agree there are complexities involved, but when the curtain is pulled back to discover the truth, it’s not complicated.
Christian singer and songwriter Matthew West has released a wonderful song entitled Truth Be Told. In the lyrics, there’s a line that not only describes American culture, but applies equally to other cultures around the world.
But truth be told
I can’t think of a more succinct way to say it—the truth is rarely told.
I know, and so do you, that increasing numbers of Americans no longer believe in the existence of absolute truth. Truth for these people is whatever they personally think to be true. One person has one truth. Another espouses a different truth about the same topic. Just a few examples:
God created everything that exists. / There is no God; everything came about by chance.
God created male and female. / Personal choice determines gender.
God created each of us and has a plan for every life. / There is no God and no plan beyond whatever plan we choose.
God, as Creator of everything that exists, is in charge. / Human beings are running the show.
Does absolute truth exist? Is such truth important? Yes and yes. Let me offer a personal example.
As an infantry officer for many years, map reading and land navigation were important skills to acquire, especially in combat areas of operation. Today, technology has provided us with the GPS (Global Positioning System), and map reading and land navigation are rapidly becoming lost arts. But knowing where you are on the ground hasn’t lost its importance. If you don’t know your own location, the consequences can become serious or even deadly.
While serving in Vietnam in a jungle environment, my platoon took incoming mortar fire on our location. Why? The firing section plotted the wrong location for my unit. They thought their target was a safe distance from our location. Instead, they dropped high explosive rounds on top of us. Fortunately, no soldiers were killed, and only one was slightly wounded.
Knowing the truth is the moral equivalent of knowing your location, and equally critical if America is going to work herself out of the many holes we’ve dug. We must know the truth about each of the issues we’re trying to solve. We must know where we presently stand. Unfortunately, the truth is rarely told.
Our present age is not the first to suffer from failure to know the truth. The prophet Isaiah wrote this over 2,700 years ago in his warnings to the nation of Israel.
“So justice is driven back, and righteousness stands at a distance; truth has stumbled in the streets, honesty cannot enter. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The Lord looked and was displeased that there was no justice”
- Isaiah 59:14-15, NIV
How do you view truth? Are you someone who genuinely senses the importance of truth in your life? Can it be found? Do you believe that the way ahead for America hinges on finding the truth about the problems we face before we can determine solutions?
Truth exists, and it can be found. We’ll examine ways to determine truth in the next article. Let me leave you with the words of Jesus. They apply to salvation and eternity, but I also persuaded they apply to our lives on this earth.
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”
- John 8:32
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Chaplain (Col.) Scott McChrystal, Ret.
Chaplain (Col.) Scott McChrystal was commissioned in 1970 and served 31 years on active duty, 10 as an infantry officer and the remainder as a United States Army chaplain. His line officer experience included a tour in Vietnam as an Infantry Platoon Leader and three assignments with the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina. His final assignment was as the senior chaplain at the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. He retired from active duty in 2005 and served as the Military/VA Representative and Endorser within the Chaplaincy Department for the General Council of the Assemblies of God from 2005-2019. His decorations and awards include the Distinguished Service Award, the Bronze Star, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge, the Master Parachutist Badge, and the Army Ranger Tab. His education includes a Master of Business Administration Degree, a Master of Divinity Degree, a Doctor of Ministry Degree, and graduation from The United States Army War College. In recent years, he and his wife have written several Christian devotionals. In addition, Scott co-authored a Christian action-novel and served as the managing editor for the The Warrior’s Bible, an application Bible for the military community. He presently serves as the Executive Liaison for The Warrior’s Journey, a non-profit organization that supports the military community. He and his wife, Judy, live in Springfield, Missouri, and have 4 children and 12 grandchildren.
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