What is truth?

I recently took one of those goofy Facebook surveys to see what accent I had. See when I lived in the north, lots of folks asked where in the south I was from. And when I live in the south, people ask where in the north I'm from. I have lived a third of my life each in the north, south and midwest. Prior to moving to the midwest in my teens, it was quite easy to determine from my accent that I was born and raised in Pittsburgh, PA, one of the finest cities in the country. We speak fast, forthrightly and from the heart. Questions like "Did you eat yet?" come out "Jeet jet?" to which one responds, "No, jew?" While the darlin' "y'all" is popular here in the sweet south, "yinz" in Pittsburgh refers to the group we called "you guys" in Chicago. While we worshiped Gawd in Pittsburgh, in the midwest it was Gahd. It's been so much fun learning the different cultures, accents and terms used in each location. Bubbler vs. drinking fountain; jagger bush vs. thorn bush; gumband vs. rubber band; hoagie vs. sub; crayfish vs. crawdad, coke vs. soda vs. pop and so on. So much so that my accent is mishmashed enough to confuse anyone who hears me.

Recently I had someone tell me I was too "northern" for them. And they weren't talking about my accent. I rolled my eyes. Too northern for someone? What does that even mean? By the tone of voice, it was not intended to be a compliment. In the five years I've lived in Alabama, I have been called a Yankee twice, both times in jest. My northern friends, it is never a kind reference, ever. I heard it more often in Georgia, with folks telling me they'd rather we Yankees just move back up north. But here in central Alabama, we're located near an Air Force base with people moving in and out all the time. Folks around these parts are used to loving people from all over the country, so the Yankee moniker is rare. For someone to actually tell me I was too northern for them was so pathetic to me.

After rolling my eyes at this person, I asked what he was referring to? He didn't answer.

People from the north and south could stand to learn a few things from each other. Northerners are direct, quick, honest, hardworking, generous, strong folk. Southerners are kind, hospitable, tough, sweet-like-the-tea-they-drink and faithful. Now these are pretty general adjectives and certainly do not describe every northerner or every southerner. But there is one distinct difference: typically a northerner will tell me to my face what they think of me. A southerner will be sweet to my face and talk about me as I walk away. If I had to choose between the two, I would take direct honesty every time. Since I grew up in an area where people are blunt with each another, I take at face value that what people say to me is the truth. Sadly, I have learned the hard way to take some things said here with a grain of salt. On the flip side, because northerners are so direct, it doesn't always come across kind, and sometimes even rude or hurtful. Southerners ooze kindness - yes, fake kindness in some instances, but kind nonetheless. So here's a compromise ... and a Biblical one at that: How about the truth in love?

Eph. 4:15 says: "Speaking the truth in love, we will grow to become in every respect the mature body of him who is the head, that is, Christ." 1 John 3:18 says: "Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth." 3 John 4 says: "I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."

I have a problem with fakeness, lies, deceitfulness and exaggeration. All are forms of fraudulence, and Jesus had a problem with that. It is one of the Ten Commandments, for crying out loud. Standing before Pilate before his crucifixion, Jesus said, "In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me." To which Pilate promptly responded "What is truth?"

If you have to ask, you have a problem. The truth hurts sometimes, yes, but at least it's the truth. And as long as it's done in love, there's a divine combination there.

If I am too northern for you, ask yourself what exactly you're saying, or even more scary, what you're preferring. I will never sugarcoat things or say something to you I don't believe from my heart. If I have complimented you, I want nothing from you, just to tell you how amazing you are. If I have given you information that can possibly make a situation better, don't automatically assume I am trying to discredit the way you've always done it. If my directness is intended to hurt you, you will not have to guess. But then, would that be truth "in love?"

Psalm 15 tells us a person whose walk is blameless is one who speaks the truth from their heart. Jesus says the truth sets us free (John 8:32). It's a theme repeated over and over again in Scripture. If I am going to err as a human - and trust me I will repeatedly - it will be on the side of truth.

I love this country, every single goofy region of it. And you will see bits of each of those places have become a part of me. I praise Jesus for that.

By the way, in case you wondered what accent this oh-so-accurate-and-thorough survey said I had ... ask me. I'll be honest with you.