What is Real and True?
- Monica Walton
- Sep 5
- 5 min read
Let us begin with some portions of The Prayer of Jesus in John 17:
"Now this is eternal life, that they should know you, the only true God, and the one whom you sent, Jesus Christ. Holy Father, keep them in your name that you have given me, so that they may be one just as we are. I speak this in the world so that they may share my joy completely. Consecrate them in the truth. Your word is truth."
For those of us with an untrained eye and a lack of forensic software, it is getting increasingly difficult to distinguish truth from fiction in our world today. Unless it is clearly presented as artistic expression, we can be tricked into thinking that just about anything online is real and true. Before the creation of digital photo editing tools, we could trust that if there was a photo or a video of an event, it really happened. If there was a photo of a person, it was what they truly look like. Other than manipulating the lighting, angle, and backdrop, what was shown was generally real and true. The phrase, 'pictures don't lie,' is no longer valid because now we can easily change photos to be whatever we wish. It began with color enhancement and touch-ups. Then, we could swap out backgrounds and add or remove people and things. Now, people and computers are creating completely new images and videos using real people's likenesses and voices, but the presentation isn't authentic and true.
It's amazing to see some of those creations, but it makes it much harder and sometimes nearly impossible to answer the question:
Is this real and true or actually artificial?
I recently fell for such a trick. What was presented as a new series by Bishop Robert Barron landed in my feed, so I listened. The format was not his usual presentation, but the topic was engaging, so I listened. Instead, I should have listened to that little Holy Spirit nudge prompting me to pause and investigate. It sounded like Bishop Barron's voice and speaking style, and it was his likeness in the photo. But it wasn't his normal cover photo and rather than his usual video format, it was audio only. Unfortunately, instead of investigating the "new series" to verify that it was real and true, I listened to the next one that automatically popped up. That led to another. This one compelled me to share it on my Social Media, because I found the topic worthy of further discussion. Within minutes, someone I don't know personally commented that it wasn't real. I verified his claim, deleted my post, and felt so dumb for falling into the trap. I'm embarrassed to admit that I did not slow down and verify the origin of the posts when my gut told me there was something fishy about them. Although I deleted the link in my post, it's still out there somewhere. Deleting something from the internet doesn't remove it everywhere, but at least it's no longer on my page.
Now I'm doing what many of us do
— sharing one of my most embarrassing moments with the world —
My sincere apologies to anyone who trusted my post and listened!
The lesson here is to stick to verified sources.
This got me thinking about how easily we can be deceived. How many people are gathering information from sources that aren't real and true? This question brought me to two more important questions:
Is Artificial Intelligence making us dumber?
How can we tell what is real and true?
This whole ordeal really upset me, so I took it to God in prayer. As I was kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament the next morning, I asked the Lord for help. Despite all the filth, violence, anger, and silliness available online, many people, like you and me, are actually trying to feed ourselves Truth and Goodness to help bring us closer to the Lord. So, I placed it all at His feet and begged:
Lord, help us, please!
What can we do about this?
Where can we go to find what is real and true?
As I sat with my eyes closed in the stillness and peace of His presence in the Chapel, I saw an image of myself sitting in my favorite reading chair with the Bible in my lap. I could feel the heaviness of the book, the texture of the cover, and the softness of the pages. My eyes followed the Sacred Word, my fingers gently turned the pages, and the Holy Spirit filled my heart. Jesus gave me the answer:
His Word is always the answer.
His Word is where we are to go to find what is real and true.
I came across the following verses in Psalm 115. The scene is the enemy taunting the Israelites, trying to convince them that their God cannot help them out of the misery they suffer. It is applicable today, looking around the world at all the false idols, some who taunt believers asking us, 'Where is your God?' This is a hymn proclaiming the glory of the one True God and ridicules the lifeless idols of the nations.
"Not to us, Lord, not to us but to your name give glory because of your mercy and faithfulness. Why should the nations say, 'Where is their God?' Our God is in the heavens, and wills whatever should be done. Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. They have mouths but do not speak, eyes but do not see. They have ears but do not hear, noses but do not smell. They have hands but do not feel, feet but do not walk. They produce no sound from their throats. Their makers will come to be like them, as will all who trust in them."
It's frightening to think that may be happening to us! I often search for Scripture on my phone or laptop, simply because it's so convenient. That's not a bad thing, and I'm not knocking anyone who does it. But personally, I still prefer to hold a book, rather than use an e-reader. I want to savor the gift of being able to open and read an actual Bible while I am still able. I think of those, like my dear Aunt Audrey, who are losing their eyesight, and I'm thankful technology can help her still hear God's Word.
When we sit in the quiet, we can hear God's voice as Elijah did on Mount Horeb. 1Kings 19:11-12 says the Lord was in the small voice, the gentle whisper, the light sound. The Bible is the Living Word of God. God didn't just speak in Biblical times, He still speaks to us today. And He doesn't only speak to the prophets and saints or the clergy and consecrated, He speaks to us ordinary people. He wants us to know Him, and He has much to say to us. Listen and you will hear Him. I believe this with all my heart!
It's normal to have doubts, and it can feel awkward, uncomfortable, or unproductive at first. But, I beg you to give it an earnest try. Sit in the quiet (even your car if that's the only place you can be alone in the quiet), open the Bible, and ask the Holy Spirit to help you hear God's voice. A good place to start is with one of the Mass Readings for that day or for the coming Sunday. Read the Gospel and pay attention to which verse or sentence stands out…whatever catches your attention. Sit with that verse. Read it again a few times, then sit and listen. Keep trying every day — over and over and over. You will hear Him in your heart.
Really enjoyed your thoughts on this. Don't feel embarrassed because I've been fooled too by the sophisticated technology being used by those who may not have good intentions. It's harder to weed out the noise with our own eyes and ears. The Holy Spirit gives us a gut feeling sometimes when something my be off (though I've ignored it too). I pray for us all to listen to that small, still voice within.
You are not alone on this!! I was listening to some videos that I THOUGHT were Pope Leo, but they were not. Thank you for sharing this!! SO helpful & true.
God's word is always there. We just have to listen.What does God want me to do? I must follow His will, not mine. That is real!!
Wow! So powerful, Monica!