Dichotomy

Send out your light and your truth . . . 

 - From Psalm 43

Light and truth. It's the classic dichotomy.

Some people want light only, and resist truth.

Some people want truth only, and resist light.

It doesn't matter whether they are "religious" or not. It explains such things as partisan politics - - - and the divide between them that want "justice" and them that want "compassion."

It explains any dispute between otherwise "good" people, that are so convinced they are right, and that others not only are wrong, but are either ignorant, fearful, or evil.

But we need both light and truth. We need protection and mercy from God. We need to be treated with kindness. We need others to put up with our failures. But we also need God to show us truth; to call us to higher levels of life and behavior. We need to aspire to greatness and nobility. We need a set of standards that challenges us.

We need freedom of conscience, but we also need to be corrected when we're wrong.

It is said, "You can't have it both ways." But we are going to have to have it both ways. It's the only way to rise above our human condition and see the Big Picture.

You need both a right and a left hand. We have peripheral vision for a reason.

Yes, God send us both Light, and Truth. Light to keep us from bumping into things. And Truth to give us mastery over those things.