C - Truth

There was once an archaeologist who went digging in the desert. He didn't know what he was looking for, but he knew that the truth would come to him in time. While digging, he found a treasure chest. So he pulled it out of the ground, opened it and saw that it was filled with gold of all shapes and sizes. He was so surprised that he went and told everyone else what he found. One or two people came and looked at that ancient chest from afar but they were not amazed, others didn't care enough to come out in the desert with him, and some simply didn't believe him. He said to himself, "Surely they will care if I show them gold", so he grabbed a few small gold nuggets - but still, no one sought the truth of the treasure. The man went back to the desert, grabbed some gold from the chest, and was never heard from again - he was presumed dead. There was a violent earthquake, and the chest was buried under dirt and sand.

Hundreds of years passed. There was another man who became an archaeologist. He heard about the story of the man digging, not knowing what he was looking for, but found a treasure chest full of gold in the desert. Some people told the man the story was a fable, others said there are only riches in a days work, some said the story was a philosophical one and nothing more. So the archaeologist went to the desert and began digging and searching for the treasure chest full of gold. He found the chest and the gold and became ecstatic - but then depressed because no one cared enough to come to the desert with him. So he grabbed some of the gold and was never heard from again - he was presumed dead. There was a violent earthquake and the chest was buried.

Both archaeologist went digging for truth - one had no idea what he was looking for, the other did - but they both found the same thing, and they were both astonished because of what they found. They both gained the same truth, but only because they went looking.

The truth must always be looked for, it must always be searched for - because eventually you're going to stumble on something you didn't expect to find.

Even more concerning truth, people will always say what they want to say to you, but watch them - watch their actions - pay attention to what they do. Look around you and look at yourself - because many of you lie to yourselves more than anyone else lies to you - then you cover up a lie with a philosophy as a way to appease your curious mind. Tell the truth to yourself. There are liars everywhere, here and everywhere, there are liars - so pay attention to what you see, especially in the days you seek truth and go digging in the desert (if in fact you decide to go digging in the desert).

If you find the truth - make it useful to others. If others refuse to use it, then keep it for yourself, which is all you'd be able to do with it.

The Case of a Liar...

It seems that everywhere I turn, there are liars around me. If people don't lie with their lips, then they lie with their eyes, or with their smiles, or with their handshakes, or with their hugs, or with their work, or with their media. These are people who have something to either prove or gain - it is typical, and it is quite damaging. Is the truth really this difficult to provide?

You go to court and listen to people trying to prove their cases before a judge and a jury. Why do they need to prove a case? Why not simply tell the whole truth? If the truth proves them innocent, then they are innocent, if guilty, then guilty. There can certainly be no justice without truth. And by understanding this, doesn't it make more sense to always seek the whole (logical) truth before seeking justice?

He may know the truth about one thing, and she may know the truth of another - the complete truth is always there. With truth comes justice, and with justice comes peace. I promise you, each of you, that there will never be peace on this planet without people providing the complete truth. You can hope and pray and protest all you want - but with a world full of liars, expect neither justice nor peace.