“The Truth Effect”
Jesus said to them, "If you hold to my teachings, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free." John 8:31-32 [Originally published info. below]
Something has shifted. Ever since Donald Trump’s historic election win, American institutions, corporations, and international relationships have had a seismic shift. It is intriguing that even before he took the oath of office, numerous companies, CEOs, and world leaders began shifting their policies, trade agreements, and practices to align better with Trump’s America First agenda.
In the last half of 2024, we began hearing encouraging reports of multiple corporations and some state colleges and universities closing their “Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” (DEI) departments and returning to merit-based practices in hiring and student enrollment. Even Disney came out at the end of this last year, stating they want to return to their original focus – to entertain rather than make political stands. Who saw that coming – and so quickly?
From returning criminal aliens to their native country to criminalizing those who practice medical and surgical transgendering of children – the majority of people seem grateful and relieved to see “common sense,” actual biological science, and the rule of law returning to the forefront of society.
The Silence is Deafening - and Encouraging
As further evidence that most Americans are glad about these changes, one only needs to see what is not occurring – the wave of projected riots and protests has not happened as we saw in January 2017. The very opposite is actually occurring today. A growing number of people are cautiously optimistic that with Trump at the helm, our country may be positioning itself for what has been called “America’s Golden Age.”
The most recent protests happening in D.C. are rather odd - if you pay attention to what they are NOT upset about. Elon Musk and his young Department Of Government Efficiency (DOGE) team are giving the taxpayers a truly transparent view of how our tax dollars are being spent - or should I say “wasted.” Reading the list, one is tempted to think it’s a Saturday Night Live skit or something from the Babylon Bee. But there is nothing comical about the unimaginable and insane ways our government has worked to waste our taxes.
For a sampling of the waste and abuse under the USAID, click here
What the Critics Are Not Saying
There is a corresponding seismic panic among the members of Congress (almost unilaterally, the Democrats) who are upset that ANY Government agency would have to be accountable for how it spends our money. Not a single Democrat in the most recent rally in DC even mentioned their disapproval of the ridiculous and inexcusable waste of our taxes! We can only hope and pray that their days of waste and fraud may soon be over in a big way.
Overall, Americans seem happy about all these changes and exposures. Even the NCAA has now barred men from women’s sports. It has not even been three weeks since the President was inaugurated!
The news media and political pundits have labeled this phenomenon the “Trump Effect.” However, I believe something more significant and transformational is behind the so-called “Trump Effect,” and I would call it the “Truth Effect.”
The Common Sense Majority: Finding Our Voice
As an example, I believe a supermajority of Americans always knew there were only two genders. A majority of Americans have watched in bewilderment as respected institutions like the NCAA, the Olympic Committee, and professional sports deny reality as they let men compete as a woman. If you spoke up about the lunacy of this, they would cancel you, label you as a transphobe, and sometimes worse. This dictatorial demand for compliance with a lie extends into public schools. In one case, a school district expelled a grade-school boy for wearing a shirt that said there were only two genders.
As George Orwell once said, “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.” Most citizens were fed up, and their vote was a revolutionary act demanding that common sense and Truth be returned to government, public policies, and society. So, when President Trump declared on day one that the federal government’s policy was that there were only two genders, male and female, there was a collective sigh of relief among most people. Why would that be? Because we finally have someone saying the Truth we all know, and the lies are no longer welcome in a free society.
They say that “courage is contagious,” and I agree. Our President’s clear-minded courage to lead from the foundation of self-evident Truths is a powerful catalyst for the frustrated masses who are adding their voices to the symphony of truth-tellers and freedom-lovers. More and more people are speaking up and refusing to tolerate the insanity that allows grown men to be declared “real women” as they steal the awards in women’s sports and then prance into their locker rooms to feast their eyes on our daughters and granddaughters.
The Power of the Truth Effect
I could go on to address the blatant racism of “Identity Politics” or the absolute failure of every false prophecy of climate gloom and doom over the last seventy years, but let me get to the most crucial dynamic being witnessed in our nation. People feel safer when the Truth is welcomed and embraced because common sense is common again, and our society is better positioned to flourish.
The “Truth Effect” brings calmness to society because the “forgotten” citizens experience a sense of relief and joy when someone finally speaks the truth they know to be true. Trump was the only one courageous enough to call out the lies and deception. The people embraced him because he spoke from a point of common sense that had been sorely lacking over the last four years.
The most potent aspect of the “Truth Effect” is its lasting impact on individuals throughout their lives. Jesus, who is “ the way, the Truth, and the life” (John 14:6), said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the Truth, and the Truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32). Knowing the Truth of Scripture and using it to direct your life (Ps. 119:105) will protect you from many inherent traps of sinful desires and humanistic ideology that rejects God.
Most importantly, the Truth of Scripture reveals the tender mercies of God toward a lost humanity and directs the listening soul to forgiveness, salvation, and freedom from guilt, shame, and bondage to sin. The Psalmist gives us a wonderful mental picture of this freedom Jesus spoke about when he declared: I run in the path of your commands, for you have set my heart free.” (Psa 119:32)
What a word picture! Are you ready to put on your “freedom sneakers”? Many things in this life bring discouragement, anxiety, etc. Still, amid all that, Jesus calls us to a more profound freedom of heart, mind, and soul for all who humble themselves, confess their sin, and surrender the rest of their lives to following Him.
Jesus is calling; will you answer His call? Feel free to contact me if you have questions or are ready to learn more about what it means to follow Christ. You will not regret it.
[This article was originally in the Stevens County Times, Stevens County, WA, by Pastor Tim White for the February 2025 edition - © all rights reserved by the author]