Learning from Dune

So Larry and I just completed a book trade. I don't know if you've noticed or not, but on my reading list of late has been Dune by Frank Herbert. Not exactly what you'd expect me to read, I know. I have to admit-- I did really enjoy the book. Not enough to read all of the ecology on worms or religion offered in the epilogue, but enough to zip through it fairly quickly.

There was one lesson I wanted to bring from it (and from Kelly Minter's No Other Gods). One of the characters revealed early on the book is a traitor. I won't give his name away in case you decide to pick up the book one day-- no spoiler alerts from me! Anywho-- the traitor finds himself at the mercy of a Truthsayer. According to the author, a Truthsayer has been trained from a young age to be able to know what is true from what is untrue. Praise the Lord we have the Holy Spirit to give us such discernment, but I digress... Back to the scene. The character finds himself in the audience of the Truthsayer and likely to be found out of his grand scheme. His strategy to avoid being caught (known via internal dialogue) is to always say what is true, but never what is truth. There's only one solution for him. He thinks, "There's only one solution: tell the truth as far as I can."

Ooh.

How many have times have we pushed the truth as far as we can? Let's say that again-- the way to not be caught in a lie is to always say what is true, but never what is truth. Kelly Minter points out in her Bible study that this is a tool of the enemy. Satan has made a disgusting art form in trapping us with what is (seemingly) true, but never declaring truth. This revelation has really challenged me to see a. What is truth coming out of secular avenues like Dune, and b. What I have allowed in my life that may be true but not truth.