When forced to deal with an issue of truth, the Roman Governor, Pontius Pilate, asked the question, "What is truth?"

All the legal evidence pointed to the fact that a man charged with crimes was innocent. In fact, he publically declared, "I find no basis for a charge against him."

Yet despite the lack of evidence, truth was set aside for political expediency and the man was condemned to death.

Truth and honesty have continued to be set aside so that personal interests might take priority.

I had the opportunity this week to watch one of those "interviewer on the street" videos. These particular interviews focused on what people thought about truth and honesty.

What I found interesting was that the majority of those who were on camera saw nothing wrong when they were not being truthful and honest. However, when someone was not being honest and truthful with them they felt betrayed and had difficulty trusting that person.

I am left wondering, why the double standard? Has our society significantly lost the ability to connect the dots between how we ourselves behave and the expectations of how we think others should behave towards us?

Perhaps we need to be reminded of the words of Jesus from Matthew 7:12, "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you." Or earlier in that same chapter He said, "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be m e a sured to y o u " ( v e r s e 2).

I t w o u l d s e e m that perhaps words of reminder are probably not enough, because words are "so relative" in their meaning.

Besides, the popular view of our day is that truth is really relative. Personal opinion and choice influence and change the basis upon which truth is viewed. Maybe that provides some of the illogic that finds it permissible for a person to believe he/she can lie, but it is not acceptable to be lied to.

Until individuals are prepared to acknowledge and accept that there are and will be consequences to behavioural actions, we will not see the level of truthfulness in our socie t y increase.

I t m i g h t not be easy for p e o p l e who see themselves as the source of truth to acknowledge that there is truth, absolute truth, outside of themselves.

If that truth does exist, it will not be changed by what they choose to accept as truth. I can believe what I want about gravity, but that does not change the laws and issues relating to gravity. Truth about gravity remains the same.

What is the real issue relating to truth and honesty? If I admit that Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life, as He claimed to be. If I admit that the Bible contains information that relates to absolute truth. Then I must admit that I am accountable to someone beyond myself.

I am accountable to a standard of truth that is beyond my personal opinions. If I am accountable, then it means that I would have to live my life in a manner that acknowledged my accountability and demonstrated faithfulness to that accountability. It would mean that I would have to be truthful and honest in what I said and did, not just in what I expected others to do to me.

The question each of us faces is, "who will we place in supreme authority of our life?" Our level of commitment to truth and honesty will be determined by our answer to that question.

Rev. Bob McLellan is pastor of Grace Church of the Nazarene, Shelburne.