Rumi is an ancient mystic, theologian, writer, Muslim and Facebook sensation. He was born in Persia, and he lived from 1207 to 1273. I learned to know about him through some of his poetry and his personal writings. On Facebook, there are many sites that quote some of his short statements of wisdom. There are thousands of small statements that are posted on social media, like the one I “liked” today , “ Reason is powerless in the expression of love .”. But, how do I know that what is posted actually comes from Rumi ? And how do I know what Rumi is said to have written was actually written by him ? And since Rumi was Persian, the words that I receive have been translated over many years. How do I know that the translators have done a good job with Rum’s words. As Jesus said, we must be “ wise and serpents and innocent as doves.”.
So, last week I came across another quote given to Rumi. It goes like this, that when you are about to speak [ or write ] the words must pass three gates, “ is it true, is it necessary and is it kind. “. This seems like good wisdom. As I was trolling the internet about Rumi , I came across some quotes that Socrates is said to have written similar words in around 350 B.C. . So, how do I decide what is the truth about the these statements ? And what about truth in general ?
In our world, we are struggling to know how to determine what is fake and what is real in the news. Do people lie about things on purpose, or do they just tell the stories that uphold their particular views ? I think that we all tell only half-truths. In my time as a pastor, I was told that I during my sermons that I told very good stories. They were relevant to life, and were connected to the text from the Bible. But I could never tell the whole truth. That would take too long, and people would have fallen asleep. Life and stories are too complicated for us to tell the whole truth.
News organizations say that they tell us the news that we need to know for our day. I believe that was CTV’s tagline for many years, but news shows make large decisions on what they choose to report and not report . They are guided by advertisers, viewers, politicians and themselves as they try to report the truth as they see it. So, how can we decide what it true on the CBC or CNN or even Fox News ?
I believe in the Bible, as a guide to my faith, and my life. But it is not the whole truth. Luke makes decisions about what stories to tell. John says that all the books in the world could not contain the stories of Jesus. What tales of Jesus did he leave out ? I believe there has been a lot of truth lived out in the world since the Resurrection. What role does God’s Spirit play in the telling of truth today.
So, how am I doing with Rumi’s ( or Socrates’ ) gates. I have to act as if , when I tell a story , that it is true. I cannot verify everything, but I cannot tell a lie, to further my point or faith. I have to tell the truth, even though I can never have the whole truth. Then, if I am confident that it is true, then is it necessary to tell the story ? Not all stories need to be told to everyone. This takes great wisdom; to know when to not tell a story, that might hurt someone. That bring us to the final gate. Is it kind to tell the story about someone or some event ? If you are telling it to raise your own status or place in the family and community, do not open your mouth. Make sure you are kind and compassionate when you tell your stories.
Pilate, the Roman leader, who sent Jesus of Nazareth to the cross, was so conflicted with Jesus and the crowd , he went back into the room where Jesus was, and asked, “ what is truth ?” It is a question I must ask myself everytime I open my mouth or write with my pen.
Fred Redekop
Ponder Anew 