D.H. Lawrence made the observation that there are two kinds of truth, a 'truth of truth' and a 'truth of facts'. A truth of facts has to do with names, dates, places and so forth. But the truth of truth is revealed to us through mythology, legend and even fairy tales. The truth of truth has to do with the inner world of the imagination and emotions. They reveal the inner shape and contour of our minds, our longings, needs, and our spirits. Truth of truth will not qualify as facts, but in the inner world of the mind, spirit and soul where we live and dream and hope and imagine and create there is another world where we create our own truth. We take the myths, folklore and legends of an ancient time and rewrite them according to our own needs, hopes and fears, for our own time. There are those who want us to live without myth and fantasy. They want us to live only by the truth of facts. What they would substitute is technology, science and ideologies as a means of discovering meaning and celebrating values. But to live only by truths of facts can impoverish and stunt our lives.
I know that December 25 was not the birthday of Jesus. I know that 'virgin birth' and all of the other biblical Christmas stories were common mythological themes, or motifs, that can be found in all of the other religious traditions of that part of the world. Other gods of virgin birth, with celebrations on December 25 included Marduk, Osiris, Isis, Mithra, Saturn, Sol, Apollo, and others. I know these are truths of facts.
But the truth of truth that speaks to my heart is the joy of celebrations, with the love of family and friends, and bringing back to our memory the truth that we are all children of the same Source, with an eternal presence that dwells within us all. This season reminds me of spiritual insights that are a truth of truth and that touch the depths of my being, my existence, more profoundly than any truth of facts.
George Santayana was one of the greatest of the philosophers at Harvard University. He was born into a Roman Catholic home but at age l2 he rejected all of that early indoctrination. He looked upon Roman Catholic theology and doctrines as absurd and as superstition. But every Christmas eve, he and his wife went to the midnight candlelight mass. His friends teased him, saying 'you know you don't believe any of that stuff George, why do you go?"
"Oh'...Santayana replied..."because it feeds my soul." He knew what the truth of facts were. But it was the truth of truth.. the beauty of the myth...the music...and the ritual...that fed his soul.