One thing I’ve learned in life is that for many people, truth is a relative thing. The truth is what they say it is, and you can’t convince them otherwise.
What I do remember is good old Uncle Dan. Now, he was not a biological uncle in that sense, but he was so much a part of our family and its gatherings everybody treated him like an uncle.
What most of us liked about Uncle Dan was his humorous stories.
We all laughed almost uncontrollably while he told his story. We didn’t know at the time, but we laughed because he told different versions of the same story.
It was when he went fishing at the lake. I don’t know where it all started, because it was always a different lake.
After one of his storytelling episodes, my cousin and I were together, I looked at him and said, “Wasn’t that similar to the story he told the last time?”
My cousin looked at me, scratched his chin, and then said, “You know, I think you’re right. That was similar to the one he told last time, and the one he told before that and the one he told before that one. They’re all similar.”
Together, we laughed as only cousins could. We couldn’t wait until the next family gathering with Uncle Dan. We wanted to see if anybody else caught on to what Uncle Dan was doing.
My cousin and I agreed Uncle Dan probably didn’t know he was changing these stories every time. To him, it was like he was telling the story for the very first time.
After he passed away, I brought up the subject at our next family reunion.
“I sure miss Uncle Dan’s stories. They sure were entertaining.” Then the family group laughed together and smiled.
I couldn’t help it, but I had to take it a step further: “Do any of you know what Uncle Dan was doing with his stories?”
I then posed another question, “Can anybody tell me how many stories Uncle Dan told?”
A silly chuckle ran through the crowd, and finally someone said, “He told us a new story every time we got together. I don’t remember how many stories he told us.”
I looked at my cousin and said, “Mike could you answer that question?”
With a hearty chuckle, he looked at the group and said, “Uncle Dan only ever told one story throughout the years.”
Everybody thought he was telling a different story every time we gathered.
I don’t believe Uncle Dan was lying, he didn’t understand the truth as it really was.
Remembering Uncle Dan and his “story” helps me see truth differently. Was he telling the truth? And was that truth from his perspective?
In thinking about Uncle Dan’s stories, I was reminded what Jesus said about the importance of telling the truth.
“Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
— John 8: 31-32
Uncle Dan’s stories were entertainment. However, the Word of God isn’t but the basis of all truth. When I know God’s truth, it will set me free from everything else.
Dr. Snyder is a former pastor who lives with the Gracious Mistress of the Parsonage, wife Martha, in Ocala, Fla. His email is [email protected].
