Passionate for Truth

An Appetite for the authentic Article

by Dr. R. Neil Snider
for Trinity Western Magazine

Winter 2004

Truth is not out of fashion. Turn on your television, flip on your radio as you drive, or scan your favourite website, and youll know that people are after some form of itit only for its entertainment value. Whether its uncovering the facts of big business fraud, revealing the track-records of presidential candidates, or showing the strange antics of regular people on reality shows, our culture is addicted to the possibility of seeing the truth about people when theres nowhere to hide. People have an appetite for the authentic article, no matter how distasteful and ultimately unsatisfying the revelation might be.

But what if there was an opportunity to join a community of people who believe that revealing truth about themselves and the world leads to unimaginable hope?

Our vision is that when people see and engage our students and graduates, what will be revealed is an authenticity thats like a breath of fresh airan identity that is distinguished by the truth of Christ and how he has transformed their lives and perspective during their time of learning at Trinity Western. Whether in the classroom, the collegiums, or while joining in the myriad of campus life activities, students have the opportunity to face the big, difficult, and important questions about the world and themselves within the context of a loving, Christ-centred university.

The result is that when students and graduates embrace the notion of becoming authentic learners, they will be prepared to engage fellow sojourners in our broader culture who ask the same big questions but who dont have the hope of discovering satisfying answers. And when authentic people share authentic hope, the reality is refreshing and the quest for truth always leads back to Christthe source of vibrant meaning and purpose.