The American education system has done a dismal job of teaching American history to emphasize that this country paid a HUGE price – in blood –  for its foray into slavery. It’s called the Civil War where more Americans died than in WW1, WW2, Korea and Vietnam combined. Few Americans know that the bloodiest day in American history was Sep 17, 1862 at the Battle of Antietam in Maryland, with more than 23,000 casualties. Let that sink in – 23,000 casualties in just one day in one battle. Or that there were over 51,000 casualties in 3 days at Gettysburg. The next time the subject of racism in this country comes up, you need to gently ask them what the bloodiest day in American history was . . . and why it happened. It happened to free the slaves because that battle resulted in Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation. So many young people today live in a delusional, fantasy world.

Truth mirrors reality. When we manufacture our own version of truth we end up down the rabbit hole. And that rabbit hole can go much deeper than we think, taking us to very dark places. Truth is what sets us free. This is why Jesus said in John 8:32 that you “will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” Navigating life with manufactured truth is a recipe for disaster. We discover truth because it is embedded in reality; we cannot create truth.