What Color is the Dress?

Pondering John 14:6-7.

A highly debated social topic of 2015 was, “What color is the dress? Is it black and blue or is it white and gold?” People were actually angry and fighting over who was right.

Some people concluded, “What is true for you is not true for me. I see one color and you see another.” Others responded, “There is one true answer, regardless of what eyes are seeing. And I’m right!”

I was curious so upon investigation, I learned we see the color of objects based upon how we interpret the light around those objects. In the case of the dress, people were interpreting the ambiguous lighting in the photo differently. It was difficult to tell if the light in the room with the dress was bright or dim so everyone’s brains made assumptions. If your brain told you the dress was in a bright room, you saw the dress as black and blue. If your brain decided the dress was in a darker room, it concluded the dress must be white and gold. Essentially, some people’s brains were tricking them into seeing the dress as a different color than it really was. So it goes in life, people debate truth.

The truth is the dress was blue and black.

I believe that absolute truth exists but this is the deal…I cannot profess that I absolutely know all truth. I am growing. I am a limited creature trying to understand and be faithful to our God. His wisdom is more profound that any of us can ever comprehend on this side of heaven.

As a follower of Jesus, I believe that all spiritual and moral truths are accurately represented in God’s nature. I believe His thoughts and His will are revealed through Scripture and are on display in the life and teachings of Jesus.

However, there are people who claim they can determine truth apart from God. They have decided that man has the intellectual capacity to determine truth through reason and logic. So if no answer can be proven or known with certainty, then each person is free to choose any truth they desire. Hence, the argument “what is true for you may not be true for me.”

The problem is that without absolute moral truth, how can anyone declare Hitler was evil? How can we declare racism and slavery are wrong? How can we effectively fight for justice and rights? If you take God out of the equation and give each individual the right to determine what is true versus what is a lie, what is good versus evil, what is right versus wrong then we are in a heap of trouble, my friends. Chaos and mayhem will abound.

Jesus, the Prince of Peace, simplifies it. He says, “I am the way and the truth…”. I believe Him. I trust His promises are always kept. I believe He only speaks truth.

People may try to paint the background a different color. Circumstances may cause shadows to fall. But they don’t change the Truth, found in the person of Jesus. It is wise to keep our eyes on Him, trusting Him and not the surrounding elements.

John 1:17 revealed that Jesus is full of grace and truth. We see evidence of His grace every time He reached out to the least, the last and the lost. He is FULL of grace. And we saw Him speak truth even when people didn’t want to listen, even when authorities became angry, even when He knew He would lose followers, and even when He knew it would send Him to the cross. He is FULL of truth. But He always, always speaks truth in love.

May we be a people who seek Truth, proclaim Truth and live our lives shaped by Truth, while always exuding the grace, kindness and love of Jesus.

Question to ponder:

God said, “I, the Lord, speak the truth; I declare what is right” (Isaiah 45:19). So do I trust God’s ways and truth even when I don’t understand?