What Is Truth?

For thousands of years, people have asked a simple but powerful question: What is truth? Scientists, philosophers, and artists have all tried to answer it. But today, that question is often brushed aside. Instead of searching for truth, many people say it doesn’t really exist — that everyone has their own version.

This way of thinking is called relativism. It’s the idea that truth depends on the person rather than on reality itself. While it may sound open-minded, relativism has a big impact on how people think about morality, religion, and even the value of human life.

Truth: Objective or Personal?

To understand relativism, it helps to know that there are two different kinds of truth.

Objective truth is true no matter what anyone believes. The Earth is round, even though people once thought it was flat. Belief didn’t change reality.

Relative (or subjective) truth depends on personal opinion. Choosing a favorite ice cream flavor isn’t a matter of right or wrong — it’s preference.

Both kinds of truth exist. Problems arise when people treat everything — especially moral and religious questions — as if it were just personal opinion.

Relativism in Religion

Relativism often shows up in how people talk about religion. Christianity began with one Church, which Catholics believe was founded by Jesus and led by the apostles and their successors. Over time, disagreements caused groups to separate and form different Christian denominations, each with its own beliefs and interpretations of the Bible.

From a Catholic perspective, the truth itself did not change — people’s interpretations did. The Catholic Church teaches that it preserves the full truth handed down from Jesus, while other denominations may hold parts of that truth but not the whole of it. Relativism, on the other hand, claims that all beliefs are equally true simply because people believe them.

When Morality Becomes Relative

Relativism doesn’t stop with religion. It also affects morality. Today, phrases like “That’s your truth” or “What’s right for you isn’t right for me” are common. This idea, called moral relativism, suggests there’s no universal standard for right and wrong.

The danger is that without an objective moral standard, anything can be justified. If everyone decides their own rules, society loses a clear way to say that some actions are truly wrong — not just unpopular or inconvenient.

Where Do Moral Values Come From?

Moral beliefs are rooted in what we believe has value. In Western culture, the idea that every human life matters comes from the belief that people are created by God. That belief gives every person dignity, no matter their age, strength, or abilities.

When God is removed from the picture, human value is decided by people instead. That means dignity can become conditional — based on usefulness, independence, or opinion — rather than something every person naturally has.

Why Truth Still Matters

Perhaps you are still unconvinced. Perhaps you do not believe in God, and so it is easier to live life with your own set of morals that you are comfortable with. Relativism may sound harmless, but it has real consequences.

When truth and morality become flexible, serious issues are treated as personal choices instead of moral realities. Without shared truth, society loses its moral foundation.

Even when people deny objective truth, it doesn’t disappear. Gravity still works whether you believe in it or not. In the same way, moral truth exists whether or not it’s accepted.

It is in our very nature as human beings to know that there is right and wrong; there is good and evil. Truth isn’t something we create. It’s something we discover — and choose to live by. The challenge is having the courage to stand up for it — not just what’s popular, easy, or convenient.

We must pick a side. We must not choose a moral path of our own making. If you want to be a force of change in the world, stand for truth.

The post Real … Or Just Real to You? appeared first on Headliners Mission Group.

My grandpa always says how he fell in love with my grandmother’s big brown eyes.

He says I have her big brown eyes.

Although, I wish people would look past my big brown eyes.

I wish people would look at the way I sympathize.

Look at the way I’m paralyzed by my fear and my worries.

Every night I have this recurring dream.

I wake up in a sea on a thin sheet of wood.

This sea slowly changes from calm to raging.

My brain starts disengaging.

I lose track of the things in my life.

These big brown eyes don’t just smile.

They cry rivers of tears

Flooding my senses

and Making me senseless.

These big brown eyes need to be wiped.

They need to be cared for.

They need to be prepared for the hardships to come.

These big brown eyes need someone to step closer and realize they aren’t just brown

But green, and a little yellow when the sun hits them just right.

The only emotion they have isn’t sadness

But a mix of confusion and pride.

These big brown eyes need someone to guide them home.

The post POEM: Big Brown Eyes appeared first on Headliners Mission Group.

The way most people talk to each other has drastically changed in the past few decades. Words, phrases, and jokes are being spoken that would have been absolutely shocking a century ago. Foul language was only spoken by those who were considered “indecent.” Now words like the F-bomb are so commonplace that even children will speak them in conversation. But why does this actually matter? Just because certain ways of speaking were taboo in some other outdated culture doesn’t mean that they are now. How can things like swearing, sexual humor, and sarcasm be a problem? Well, because words really do have power. In fact, they are one of the most powerful forces in the world.

Since words are our way of communicating what we think and feel, they have a direct influence on everyone who hears them. For example, I bet you aren’t thinking about donuts right now, but now that I have mentioned them, you probably are. To take it even further, imagine a large, fluffy donut with a thick layer of shimmering glaze on the outside. It is soft to the touch, and the glaze is so fresh that its gooey texture sticks to your fingers. I’m willing to bet that now you probably are not just thinking about a donut, but you are starting to want one. Perhaps you aren’t. Perhaps you don’t like glazed donuts for some strange reason. But even then, what you just read prompted you to some sort of reaction.

No matter what, when we communicate verbally to another person, we are influencing what they think about, and sometimes even the way that they think. In fact, by reading this very article you are being influenced in some way. Whether that be toward agreement or disagreement with my point, you are thinking more deeply about this topic than you were before you started reading.

But what you say doesn’t just affect others; it also affects you.

The words that we say begin with a thought in our own minds, and when we speak that thought, it actually reinforces our thinking. Psychological evidence shows that if someone repeats a certain phrase numerous times daily over the course of a few weeks, it can actually rewire that person’s brain to come to believe that statement, even if they did not believe it before. Some communist countries have used this as a tactic in their re-education camps for POWs. By making their prisoners repeatedly speak phrases and sentences that are affirming to their communist regime, they eventually start to question what they believe to be true. This can clearly be seen in our own behavior.

For example, I used to work for a Catholic ministry that hosted overnight retreats for teens. There was one group of boys that was adamant about how much they did not want to be there. All they did was complain. There was one moment when everyone was eating breakfast. I remember quite a few teens on the retreat complimenting the food. They enjoyed it and wanted seconds. But not this group. They tried it and thought it was so gross that they refused to eat any more. Same food. Same day. Totally different attitude. By constantly reinforcing the idea that everything at the camp was a bad experience, they convinced themselves that the food, which was ordinarily enjoyable, was disgusting.

If our words have such an effect on others and on ourselves, then we need to take a closer look at the kinds of things that have become normal in our modern culture’s communication. It only takes a couple of minutes on the Internet to see that our world is full of swearing, sexual humor, complaining, and negativity towards others and oneself. These trends in speech are very destructive. Although we might not think that it means anything, when we use foul language and curse words we are choosing to carelessly throw around racial slurs, sexual euphemisms, vulgarities, and more.

There seems to be some dark part of us that revels in speaking an evil word for its own sake, and that ought to concern us. Vulgar sexual humor is even more destructive. Sex is one of the most sacred aspects of being human. It is created to be the deepest expression of love between two individuals, and it serves as the foundation of a healthy family. When sex is misused and removed from its proper context, as it is so severely in the modern day, it destroys families and damages one’s ability to love purely and authentically. When the jokes that we make lead us to rejoice in the perversion of sexuality, we are setting ourselves up for failure and influencing ourselves to see others as sexual objects rather than people.

There are so many ways speech can significantly impact us, negatively and positively. But my encouragement to you is this: if you still are not convinced, I challenge you to try to spot how the things that you hear others say seem to affect you and/or themselves. The Bible describes the tongue as a rudder that steers a ship. What we say is so powerful that it can literally steer the direction of our lives, or even the lives of others. If you want to do good, speak what is good and virtuous to others, and encourage them to do the same. If we can change our culture’s speech, we might just be able to change the world.

The post Purity of Speech appeared first on Headliners Mission Group.

We hear the term “prayer” used, but what does it mean? Does it mean reciting the same outdated prayers used for decades such as the Our Father, the prayer that Jesus gave us, or a Hail Mary, which dates back to the 16th century? No. The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC), a book about Church doctrine, says, “This mystery, (faith), then requires that the faithful believe in it, that they celebrate it, and that they live from it in a vital and personal relationship with the living and true God. This relationship is prayer.” CCC 2558. What the Catechism is saying is that prayer is the relationship with God.

Prayer is how we communicate with God the Father, Jesus, and/or Holy Spirit. This relationship is supposed to be PERSONAL. Prayer isn’t supposed to look uniform, the same way that communication between friends looks different. So, what does it mean to have a personal relationship with God? It starts just like any other relationship, with an introduction and openness. One thing to remember is that prayer isn’t us initiating a relationship with God, but rather a response to his call.

“God calls man first. Man may forget his Creator or hide far from his face; yet, the living and true God tirelessly calls each person to that mysterious encounter known as prayer. In prayer, the faithful God’s initiative of love always comes first; our own first step is always a response. As God gradually reveals himself and reveals man to himself, prayer appears as a reciprocal call, a covenant drama. Through words and actions, this drama engages the heart. It unfolds throughout the whole history of salvation.” CCC 2567

God keeps calling you on the phone. He is always initiating, and prayer is you choosing to answer the phone. So, how do you get started? Well, first off, prayer isn’t your inner monologue. It isn’t you having a conversation with yourself. Rather, it is allowing God to use the voice of the mind to converse with you. If God created you – your senses, your imagination, your intellect – wouldn’t it make sense that he would and does use those to communicate with you? Sometimes, we think that God’s going to speak to us through a billboard on the highway or a sign that’s going to hit us in the face, but more often than not, he wants to speak to us through the mundane. Why? Because he wants to be able to communicate at all times.

Close your eyes and say your first, middle, and last name in your head. It’s okay, just do it. Did it sound scary or did it sound normal? Sometimes we imagine God’s going to speak to us like how Mufasa appeared in the clouds to talk to Simba (The Lion King), a loud booming voice from the sky. Honestly, if that happened to me, I would freak out. It’s important to note that Simba isn’t freaked out because that voice, the voice of his father, is familiar. When God talks to us, He doesn’t want to scare us.

How about our imagination? St. Ignatius of Loyola developed a type of prayer allowing the individual to enter Biblical stories as if they were fully present, using all the senses. The best way to start is to imagine something already familiar: your bedroom (it could be another room if you want). Close your eyes and place yourself there. Use all five senses to get a “feel” for the room in great detail. What was that like? Did it seem easy or hard? If it was difficult or “fuzzy” try again. Practice makes perfect. It’s important to know that the mind is a muscle, it needs exercise and practice. It’s easy to be discouraged, but don’t be.

So at this point, you’ve heard your name and you’ve seen your room! That’s amazing! Time to move on to the next step. When conversing with God, there are three key things to know. God will only speak things that are 1) good; 2) upbuilding; and 3) true. All three of these criteria need to be met. If God is good, why would he ever say something bad about you? God’s also a good father, so why would he ever try to tear you down? And finally, God cannot lie; he can only speak what is true.

So, just like any conversation or new relationship, it’s good to ask questions. One of the best to start with is simply, “God, do you love me?” This question is simple because the answer is yes; however, it’s important to not let your mind “say” the obvious answer, but WAIT for the Lord to respond. It’s also good to note that you might see something in your imagination or feel something, like being hugged. If you don’t hear anything, ask again. Be persistent.

And I tell you, ask and you will receive; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks, receives; and the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened. Luke 11:9-10

And from this place, there are endless questions you can ask. God, what do you think about me? What is your plan for my life? How can I grow in holiness today? And if you question whether or not what you see or hear is you, ask yourself: is it good, true, and upbuilding? If even one of those qualifications is not met, it’s not God. The reality is, it’s tough at first. Relationships take practice, and they take dedication. It’s not going to be perfect the first time, but be patient. Trust that the Lord will show up.

He’s there, always waiting for you. The question is, are you open to the way He wants to speak?

The post What Is Prayer? appeared first on Headliners Mission Group.

Who is God? Or, what is God?

According to the Oxford English Dictionary, non-Christian religions would define God as “a superhuman being or spirit worshipped as having power over nature or human fortunes; a deity …” or someone of divine nature. The dictionary gives a second definition in the Christian, monotheistic sense as God being “the creator and ruler of the universe and source of all moral authority; the supreme being.” At first glance, to a middle- or high-schooler, both definitions give levitating dictator-ish vibes. “Worshipped as having power over nature” and “source of all moral authority” seem to be pretty strong statements. So the question still stands: who or what is God?

When we try to describe someone or something, we tend to talk about things they’ve done or accomplished. However, we frequently fail to discuss the nature or the character of someone. For example, if I wanted to describe one of my friends to you, I might say, “She’s really good at playing the cello or at ad-libbing bedtime stories.” This might give you some insight, but if you’re asking about her, you might want to know more about her tendencies, how might she respond to different situations and who she is as a person. I might say, “She is patient and seeks to understand rather than to respond. She likes to think things through and is very intentional. And she likes to have fun.” This gives you a greater idea of who she is as a person. See the difference?

Sometimes when it comes to God, we tend to stop at the first set of questions. We let actions and selective statements obscure our vision and perception. I grew up Catholic, but maybe you didn’t.

Even with my Catholic upbringing and education, I didn’t know the nature of God or His character. At Mass and in my religion classes, I heard a lot about rules and commandments. Up until I was 20, the Catholic faith was just a bunch of rules. This might be how you view Christianity, and that is understandable.

This perspective made me see God as just a taskmaster. If you look at the Old Testament, the first part of the Bible, there are a bunch of examples of punishment when the chosen people of God didn’t follow His commandments.

So let’s go back to the first question: who is God? Some think the Christian God is far off and distant, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Psalm 139, in the Old Testament, says, “O LORD, you have searched me and known me!” Different translations have it written, “Lord, you know everything there is to know about me.” King David, the author of the Psalm and a king of God’s people in biblical times, isn’t writing this depicting God as a stalker, but as someone who is so invested in your life. It goes on to say, “You go before me and follow me. You place your hand of blessing on my head.” Why? To show God goes before and behind to protect you from anything trying to harm you. My favorite translation of this verse says, “You’ve gone into my future to prepare the way, and in kindness, you follow behind me to spare me from the harm of my past.” Preparation and kindness. This doesn’t sound like something that would come from someone who has malice against you.

So what do we know about God so far? He’s not distant. He wants to be in your life. He prepares for you and doesn’t want you to be harmed. This sounds like an active God, not a passive one.

So what should you know next? God LOVES you. And it’s not just the obligatory love we see so often in today’s society, but rather a love that is faithful and chooses to put others before oneself. The faithfulness of God is, personally, my favorite attribute of his nature. Merriam-Webster says, “FAITHFUL implies unswerving adherence to a person or thing or to the oath or promise by which a tie was contracted.” So, no matter what, God will not break His promise, His covenant. Just think about our lives – how often are we susceptible to breaking our promises out of convenience, forgetfulness, or just laziness? Timothy, one of the New Testament writers, says this about God, “… if we are faithless, he remains faithful – for he cannot deny himself.” Like, woah. “He cannot DENY himself.” Timothy isn’t just describing a quality of God, but rather the what-ness of God. Like, what God is, is faithful.

God loves you. The whole Bible is ultimately a love story and one about sacrifice. Here’s the gist: God loves YOU. Not like y’all you, but you, right now, reading this sentence. He LOVES you.

When Adam and Eve sinned in Genesis and sin entered into the world, God had a plan of redemption for YOU. Even though Jesus came into the world 2,000 years ago, God had YOU in mind when He came. He knew you would sin and He loved you too much to leave you in your sin. He loved you so much that God sent His son Jesus to pay the price of your sins. St. Paul, who wrote most of the New Testament, writes, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” When the price of your sin was death, God said NO and sent His perfect son to die in your place, forever removing the debt. And the crazy thing is this: God doesn’t just love you, He actually likes you. Like, He wants to be around you.

God isn’t far off. He’s not distant. He wants to be so involved in your life and He will be if you let Him. The answers to who is God and what is God are literally infinite. And so I encourage you, if you want to find the answers to those questions, simply ASK Him. He’s waiting for you.

The post Do You Know God? appeared first on Headliners Mission Group.