19. Swiss Army Truth vs. Laser-Focus

A Swiss Army knife versus a waiter’s corkscrew.
One can be helpful in a thousand situations; the other does only one thing—but does it extremely well.

In this short chapter, we will look at how broad or narrow the range of issues is that different thinking frameworks can handle effectively. The parable compares four different approaches to truth (epistemologies). The first three of these are:

• The broad, catch-all thinking of Fisherman
• The narrow-focused thinking of Scientist
• The narrow-focused thinking of Artist

Broad Thinking (Fisherman) vs. Narrow Thinking (Scientist)  

Fisherman

The broad thinking, shaped by the classic (or pre-modern) view of truth, copes well with all the key parts of being human. Being human is being connected to others through deeply intertwined relationships. The classical view of truth can make sense of the purpose and meaning of life, and provides solid support for faith and ethics. It copes well with tensions between logic and emotions.

Like a Swiss Army knife, this classical approach to truth has multiple tools for handling life's spectrum of challenges

Scientist

The narrowed-down thinking shaped by a modernist view of truth is excellent at handling analytics and logic. Yet, this mindset is trimmed down so drastically that it struggles with other important areas of life.

This laser-focused way of thinking is clumsy in exploring emotional intimacy, consciousness, meaning and purpose of life, mystery, faith, and goodness vs. evil. It views personhood as little more than brain mechanics. Personality is flattened to reason, and emotions are viewed as chemical reactions.

The once noble pursuit of ethics—doing what is truly right, whatever the price—has been replaced by checklists to reduce risk, and avoid lawsuits and bad publicity. Moral guidelines also keep changing to match whatever society feels at the time.

To summarize, modernist thinking works well with facts, figures, and formulas—information you can easily drop into spreadsheets. If it doesn’t fit neatly in a spreadsheet, modernism’s mental software starts to hit a wall. 

Artist 

The narrow thinking of postmodernism pushes back against modernism's laserlike focus on logic and analysis (Scientist). It rejects its cold, detached, facts-and-figures-based reasoning, and rebels against the institutions built on or fueled by modernist thinking.

Postmodernism flips the script. It replaces logic and reason with personal experience as the ultimate truth. It turns away from traditional morality, replacing it with sympathy for the underdog and a strong push for equality. In this view of reality, people in power mostly seem like villains who can’t do anything right, while groups seen as weak can do nothing wrong.

The postmodern mindset is open to the spiritual and relational sides of religion but resists the idea of sweeping moral guidelines and ethical truths that are meant for everyone. At its core, the mindset encourages people to “stay true to themselves” and follow their desires, wants, and dreams. This inward focus can easily slip into self-obsession and narcissism. Focusing on one's own feelings and the truth inside you causes blind spots that can strain or destroy long-term relationships.

Fourth Option

The broad thinking of the fourth mentor in the parable, Ranger, represents a new path forward—one that moves beyond the narrow ways of modernist and postmodern thinking. This approach is multilayered and broad, aiming again to embrace the full human experience, much like Fisherman does. At the same time, it carefully includes the best of modernism’s sharp analytical thinking and something of the heart-level connection to the often messy realities of human experience, that is emphasized by postmodernism.

Ranger’s approach is like having the versatility of a smartphone with access to professional-grade apps—broad capability with specialized precision when required.

Skeptics Returning to God

When faith clashes with what seems true and real, honest seekers and wrestlers start questioning their own convictions. This struggle sometimes causes people to walk away from faith entirely.

Yet, what seems and feels true and real isn’t always as objective as we think. Our perception is shaped by our own mental software; our understanding of truth. If our idea of truth is flawed, every measurement we make will be unreliable.

For deeper thinkers, wrestling with truth can lead to unexpected discoveries. When we recognize the flaws in, and bankruptcy of our old understanding of truth, we may begin to notice truth’s multi-layered beauty and nuanced complexity. This discovery can open up the possibility of faith—even the realization that faith might be inevitable. The deeper we seek and embrace truth, the more we may find ourselves drawn to a mighty, moral, and merciful God.

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