“What is Truth?”

The hollowed-out theology of the Great Transaction

Mark Shrime, MD, PhD

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A s he was about to be executed, a carpenter in Palestine was asked by his captor, “What is truth?”

He didn’t answer. We Christians have been filling in that blank ever since.

Antonio Ciseri, Ecce Homo

The other day, I listened to the founder of a medical charity present his work in West Africa. Let’s call him Andy (which is, obviously, not his real name). While I love the work that Andy and his folks do, I couldn’t stop thinking about Pilate’s question—and Jesus’s non-answer—during his presentation.

“We like to model our work on the life of Jesus,” Andy told me, “the incarnation, the crucifixion, the resurrection, and the ascension.”

I left that meeting both impressed at Andy’s work—and deeply troubled by his reductive approach to explaining it.

(Aside: if you’re not into the religious things I’ve recently been writing, and if you haven’t already jumped ship, now’s your chance.)

Do you believe in miracles?

Before I can explain why I’ve been thinking about Andy’s presentation for the last few weeks, a little background. The four events he referred to bookend Jesus’s life; three of the four are miraculous—meaning, by definition, they evade rational explanation.

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Mark Shrime, MD, PhD
Mark Shrime, MD, PhD

Written by Mark Shrime, MD, PhD

Author, SOLVING FOR WHY | Global surgeon | Decision analyst | Climber | 3x American Ninja Warrior Competitor