Os Guinness shares a story of three different umpires having a discussion about balls and strikes. Umpire One states, “There’s balls and there’s strikes, and I call them the way they are.” Umpire Two claims, “There’s balls and there’s strikes, and I call them the way I see it.” And Umpire Three argues, “There’s balls and there’s strikes, and they ain’t nothing till I call them.”
Which umpire is correct?
There’s balls and there’s strikes, and I call them the way they are.
Umpire One is stating that balls and strikes are facts. There is such a thing as a ball and as a strike and the umpire’s job is to identify which one it is. If the umpire calls a ball a strike (or vice versa), then he or she is in error.
There’s balls and there’s strikes, and I call them the way I see it.
Umpire Two introduces us to relativism - the notion that ideas and views are relative to differences in perception. There is no universal or absolute truth according to relativism, rather truth is as each person sees it. Umpire Two is claiming that there’s no objectivity to calling balls and strikes but only his perception of them.
There’s balls and there’s strikes, and they ain’t nothing till I call them.
Umpire Three pushes relativism even deeper. It is not just that truth is relative to one’s own perception but one can conceive his or her own truth. Truth is not discovered but created. Umpire Three is arguing that balls and strikes don’t even exist until he calls them.
Which umpire is correct?
Truth is under attack. The notion that there is objective, verifiable, fixed, and defined truth is obsolete today. And the very idea of anything being “absolute” is under attack. The enemy works to undermine truth and sow seeds of confusion. The Bible tells us he is a liar and does not stand on truth (John 8:44). He wants you to believe fake news. Lies and deception are the tricks of his trade.
When God appears before Moses and sends him to Pharaoh to free His people, God instructs Moses to say “I am who I am.” (Exodus 3:14) sent him. “I am who I am” is not “I am whoever you want me to be.” We are not called to see truth the way we perceive it (Umpire Two) or make up our own truth (Umpire Three) but to know the truth (Umpire One).
…you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. John 8:32
Ryan Smallwood
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