The 12-step alcoholics anonymous program starts with honesty. Anyone seeking improvement must first admit they need help. This generally comes after years of denial, after years of refusing to admit the truth that there is a problem.

Alcoholics do not have a monopoly on the habit of refusing to admit truth.

Parents, spouses, co-workers, bosses, consumerists, religious folk, leaders, me, the list goes on, all have been known to not see the plain truth, even when it’s staring us in the face.

The whole situation of someone being oblivious to the truth is mind-boggling. We try to justify or explain it. Even this verse from the Gospel John has been used to interpret the ignorance: “And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” (KJV)

This sort of makes sense in that a lie can’t know truth, or that dishonesty doesn’t comprehend honesty.

We may even think there are some people who don’t want to know the truth. They’d rather die with their lie. But, these thoughts are…, well…, dark.

Thankfully, we can back-up a step and stay in the light.

Other Bible translations of the same verse read: “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” (ESV). Or, “The light still shines in the darkness and the darkness has never put it out.” (Phillips)

This view focuses on the light.

There are times when we need to stand for a higher truth, whether it calls for more selflessness in the family, more justice in society, more vision in an organization, or more hard work. And, as we shine with the truth, without giving power to the darkness or dishonesty, we see and experience that, “the light still shines.”