Daily Thought for Wednesday 6th May 2026
“Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
John 8:32
See the truth
Isobel Hunter
“Then you will know the truth”. What an increasingly difficult promise that feels today. We seem surrounded by versions of truth that are so clever, so compelling, that even those of us who pride ourselves on careful discernment sometimes struggle to separate truth from falsehood. The internet and modern technology certainly make that task harder, but perhaps this is also an area where we can say: it was ever thus.
The Bible itself is full of uneasy relationships with the truth. Abraham deceived both Pharaoh and Abimelech into believing that Sarah was his sister rather than his wife. King David deceived his loyal soldier Uriah the Hittite to conceal his own wrongdoing. From the beginning, human beings have struggled with honesty, deception and self-justification.
Modern research suggests that even very young children learn quickly how to deceive. Anyone who has spent time with a toddler may recognise the truth in studies suggesting that by the age of three, children can already lie with surprising creativity. Philosophers have long debated the morality of human deception, yet today we also face the unsettling reality that repeated falsehoods can begin to feel like truth. In recent years millions have been persuaded to doubt events that others regard as clear fact.
So where are Christians in this struggle for truth?
As we approach Pentecost, the answer lies not simply in arguments but in witness. The coming of the Holy Spirit did not merely give the disciples new words; it transformed their lives so profoundly that others could see the truth in them. We are called to do the same.
If the truth of Christ is written on our hearts, then our actions, our integrity and our compassion must make that truth visible. Then others can glimpse the freedom that Jesus promised.
At Pentecost the truth was not proved by argument but recognised in transformed lives.
Shall we pray?
Holy Spirit, write your truth on our hearts so that our lives may bear faithful witness to Christ. Amen.
Isobel Hunter is Session Clerk to the Parish of Upper Tweeddale, and a worship leader in the West Tweeddale linking of six churches in the Scottish Borders.