The casual conversation with an individual at work took a quick turn to the left.
“Who are you?”
As I began to answer…
“Where are you from?”
“Are you asking where I am today or where I was born?”
“Where were you born?”
“India.”
“No, you weren’t!”
“Yes, I was born in Pune, India.”
“No, I do not believe you.”
“OK, but why would I lie?”
“You are just trying to wind me up. I know you were born in America.”
“Odd, my mother doesn’t think so. Really, I was born in Pune.”
“That’s impossible. I know that you were not born in India.”
The conversation did not end, but began to rage for 30 minutes. Candor did not matter. Truthfulness was not a factor. Being willing to provide reference points was not persuasive. Obviously, in her mind I was from somewhere other than what I know to be true.
I often think that facts are the single convincing piece that is missing in a discussion. If only we could agree on the facts. That is what matters. These alone will make the difference in how we move forward.
I am not the first to make this assumption. Many before me, including one standing accused, made his defense with facts. “I’ve been back in the country only twelve days—you can check out these dates easily enough. I came with the express purpose of worshiping in Jerusalem on Pentecost, and I’ve been minding my own business the whole time.” (Acts 24.12)
While relevant, facts have their place. In my conversation, I did not find a way of conveying the truth. I talked of my childhood and she assumed it was fiction. I spoke of friends that could be a reference and she assumed we were working together. The outcome was predetermined in her mind.
I kept coming back to a question I had no answer for. Why would I want to deceive you? What is in it for me? I knew I had the truth. On this day and in this conversation, the truth was not enough.
