Truth is a Hard Deer to Hunt

Wilderness Conservancy      Rye, New York  October 2010

                                       
Acts 21:34 NIV
"Some in the crowd shouted one thing and some another, and since the commander could not get at the truth because of the uproar, he ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks."


One of my favorite short stories, "By the Waters of Babylon," by Stephen Vincent Benét, contains the following statement, "Truth is a hard deer to hunt."

I was asked in a job interview once what my greatest weakness was. I answered, "I trust my students."

Trust is a double-edged sword as students can mislead me.
Some students use my good nature to their benefit, and later I find out their true deceptive motives. Other students are worthy of my trust, and I am honored to teach them. For example, my former debate team taught me how to be a coach at the same time I showed them how to improve their public speaking skills.  

The problem with truth is its subjective nature, which was Benét's point.

At school, rumors run rampant among students, and truth is impossible to hunt down. Fights break out on whispers of half-truths. Even after the fight, it's impossible to discover the truth of the issue.

As I've listened to my students in recent years, I've noticed disturbing trends in their lives.

Too many are estranged from or have dysfunctional relationships with their parents. I believe much of the depression and anger students bring to school reflects their troubles at home.

Truth may be a hard deer to hunt, but I can add two and two together and get four.  Their faces and actions reveal the pain inside them.

I have to discern the truth of my students' lives the moment they walk through my door. I have to perceive their moods, their hunger, their thirst, their bathroom needs, and the holes in their hearts in a split second. Then I try to educate them.

I teach them concepts like: "Truth is a hard deer to hunt."
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Dear Lord, fill the lives of young people, who are hurting because of broken relationships, with your light and love.