Position Paper

Resonance of Truth

Madison Martin

British Literature
Mark Lindow
April 16th, 2015

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Truth is something that is difficult to define. I believe that the reason it is so difficult to
define is because everyone accepts a different truth. What each person believes, and finds to
be accurate, right, or honest is to them a truth. I have found the philosophies of Henry David
Thoreau and Mahatma Gandhi to be true, as well as verses in the Bible that support my opinion
of what truth really means.
The philosophers that really spoke truth to me may seem to be very disconnected. Henry
David Thoreau was a white American living in the 19th century, and Gandhi was an Indian
lawyer who had been thrown in jail during the 20th century (Gandhi). What connected them
was Thoreaus book Civil Disobedience. In this book, Thoreau presented the theory that
sometimes people have to disobey those in power in order to stand up for ones morals and
beliefs. Specifically, Thoreau felt that slavery was wrong, and believed that it was necessary to
stand up against the government in order to end the practice (Cummings). A kind of
disobedience to the world in order to be obedient to ones own convictions. This concept struck
a chord in Gandhi, who had seen the terrible effects of class discrimination and oppression by
Great Britain over India and wanted to make a change. He took a concept that already existed
in India which he believed to be true and joined it with Thoreaus own ideas to create a
movement. This movement was satyagraha, which in Sanskrit means devotion to truth
(Gandhi).
Many religions require devotion from their followers. The concept of truth is emphasized
in religion, and especially in Christianity. People look to religion to find what the meaning of life
is, to find revelations about the world around them, and to learn about things much bigger than
them. The Bible relates this dialogue from Jesus disciples concerning the nature of God,
Teacher, they said, we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God
in accordance with the truth. You arent swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who
they are. (John 8:32, NIV) This passage indicates that God is unchanging, constant, and does
not compromise his own beliefs to fit in with others. Both Thoreau and Gandhi also believed that

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God was the ultimate expression of truth because he is so constant (Thoreau, 130; Bharathi,
59). Jesus himself even declares that He is the embodiment of truth (John 14:16, NIV). To be
devoted to truth, then, would mean being devoted to God. Obedience is the ultimate expression
of devotion to God. John 8:32 (NIV) says,If you hold to my teaching, you are really my
disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.
Considering these things, I believe that everyone must learn what it is that they find to be
true and be obedient to that truth. Sometimes, being obedient to truth may mean disobeying
someone else. For example, in the story of Daniel, a law was created by King Darius that
forbade Daniel from praying to God. Daniel believed that going against God was wrong and
refused to obey the law. Because of devotion to the truth, even though Daniel was thrown into a
pit with hungry lions, his life was protected and Daniel lived (Daniel 6). This shows that
obedience to truth leads to great rewards.
My own opinion about truth is that each person will have a different interpretation of
truth. Each person will resonate with a different idea. Thoreau expresses in Walden this idea of
individuality. One persons truth may not be the same as another persons truth. He describes
this using an analogy of each person moving to the beat of a drum. However, each person may
hear a different beat. Whatever beat that person hears is the beat that they should follow in
order to stay true to themselves. They should not be striving towards another persons rhythm,
or else they would be pursuing another persons truth, and therefore would be living in a false
reality (Thoreau, 430).
Things that people accept as true strike a chord within their personal being; things line
up, match up, resonate. Like the vibrations of the strings of a guitar making frequencies that are
matched and then magnified by the body of the instrument, things truly do resonate with people.
Each persons life has a different frequency, so to speak, and when they find another frequency
that matches their own they experience feelings of connectedness and belonging.

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As a Christian, I find my truth in God and salvation through Jesus Christ. I do not agree
with the Coexist movement where all religions lead to the same god, or that any religion is
acceptable. I do believe that there is something implanted in humans, like a signature from God,
that makes us all yearn to know the One who created us and loves us. This explains why there
are other religions, because everyone is searching for an explanation for life and what truth is.
John 4:21-24 explains that other people in the world worship things that they dont knowstatues, animals, made up gods. But as Christians, we worship the One True God, who is
supreme over all creation and sent His Son to the Earth so that everyone could know who He is.
...You Samaritans worship what you do not know; we worship what we do know, for salvation is
from the Jews. Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship
the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is
spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.
How is it possible to worship God in spirit and truth? Psalms 96 through 100 exalt the
fact that God is the most supreme being, that He is just and powerful, is the creator of all things,
and should be worshiped with music and joyful noise. Like an instrument, we are to tune our
frequencies, our hearts, to match that of our Creator. When we are in tune with God, we can live
in harmony with His will for our lives, and walk in a path of truth (Romans 12:2 NIV).
Understanding what truth really is is a complex undertaking. Each person has
their own view, and resonates with different philosophies. I agree with the ideas that Henry
David Thoreau and Mahatma Gandhi have expressed. I also believe that the God I
acknowledge is the One True God, and that no other god should be worshiped. Each persons
life is tuned to a certain frequency, and by living a life in accordance with Gods will, their life will
be a constant tune of praise and worship to Him. They themselves will be a realization of truth.

Bibliography
Bharathi, K. S. "Chapter 3: Ethical Thought of Gandhi and Vinoba." Thoughts of
Gandhi and Vinoba. New Delhi, India: Concept, 1995. 56-64. Google Books. Web. 6
Apr. 2015.
Cummings, Michael J. "Civil Disobedience." Cumming's Study Guides. N.p., 2005.
Web. 15 Apr. 2015.
Thoreau, Henry D. Walden. New York: Thomas Y. Crowell, 1910. Google Books. Web.
7 Apr. 2015.
"Gandhi and Civil Disobedience." Constitutional Rights Foundation. N.p., 2015. Web.
15 Apr. 2015.

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Holy Bible: New International Version. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005. Print.