Data: (n) individual facts, statistics, or items of information
There are certainly occasions when the pursuit of truth is greatly hindered by facts.
Likewise, the beauty of possibility is just stomped to death by information.
I am temporarily many things.
- I am temporarily lazy.
- I am temporarily ignorant.
- I am temporarily a liar, confused, opinionated and misguided.
Well, I could go on and on.
For you see, if you just give facts to provide the information of my status, you can present me any way you wish.
Then it would fall my lot to justify myself.
You don’t need to go dig up dirt on me.
I’ll tell you myself:
- I have been unfaithful.
- I have sexually harassed a woman.
- I have cheated.
- I have stolen, lied and misrepresented myself.
- I have gotten angry without having a real reason.
- Jealous.
I have been all of these things—for single moments.
Then I have repented.
- Regretted.
- Changed my mind.
- Assisted.
- Given.
- Healed.
- Been a peacemaker.
- Become merciful.
Yet to claim that these virtues are continually my personality would also be false data and deceptive information.
To the average Jew in Jerusalem, Jesus was a troublemaker who didn’t follow the faith and was making himself noticeable, which was going to create problems with the Romans and unearth a dangerous environment.
The data said he was a huge problem.
The information concluded that he must die.
The truth was waiting to set us free.
You can collect your data and your information, but let it mingle with other realities, other examples and other testimonies before you become certain that you’ve gained enough input to make an honest conclusion.