THE TRUTH ABOUT FACTS

Enter Joe Friday, a man after the facts and only the facts. “Just the facts ma’am,” he says as he patiently scribbles away on his little note pad. Sometimes Joe Friday wannabes will write me and say that my highly anticipated confessions from this highly caffeinated Christian should be more factual and less and about the fanciful ideas of Jesus Christ and modern day miracles.

I would hate to loose you Joe Fridays out there as readers so let’s throw in some facts like my last name were Aikman instead of Brewer.

Facts about words

"Almost" is the longest word in the English language with all the letters in alphabetical order. "Rhythm" is the longest English word without a vowel and “racecar” spelt backwards is still racecar.

Did you know the name Wendy was made up for the book Peter Pan and there was never a recorded Wendy before that book came out? Are you aware that there are no words in the dictionary that rhyme with: orange, purple and silver? Interesting.

Facts on Animals

Did you know polar bears are left-handed, an ostrich’s eye is bigger than its brain and a butterfly tastes with its feet? Yes, I know a butterfly is not an animal but tasting with its feet reminds me of how a Giraffe can clean its ears with its own 21-inch tongue. I don’t know why — it just does. The ostrich eye thing is an interesting fact that reminds me a dolphin always sleeps with one eye open and an owl is the only bird which can see the color blue.

Joe Friday is going to love this column.

Leonardo Da Vinci invented scissors, hot water weighs more than cold water, sound travels 15 times faster through steel than through the air and Warren Beatty and Shirley McLain are brother and sister. Whew, I’m getting a kick out appeasing the more-factual and less-Jesus-loving crowd out there.

Here’s a fact: It’s my column and I’ll talk about Jesus as much as I want to. If you feel threatened by that, I say pull up your big-boy pants and write something better. As an ambassador for Christ I will actively engage the arenas of the world for the Kingdom and there are always going to be people out there who can’t stand Christians or the mention of the “J” word. In case you’re not sure about the “J” word, I’m talking Jesus. Jesus. Jesus. Jesus!

Oh I know I just made somebody mad, and it cracks me up a little. The name Brewer doesn’t just mean coffee or beer maker, it also means troublemaker, as in storms brewing. I love my name.

The problem with Facts

It’s not good to live according to facts. Facts change from perspective to perspective and moment to moment. For those of us who have chosen the way of Jesus Christ, we live according to truth. Truth supersedes facts. Facts are temporary and truth is eternal. Facts can make you miserable and truth sets you free.

So Joe, I would encourage you to not settle for the facts when you can actually have the truth.

Here’s another fact for you. The tomb in Jerusalem is empty. The truth is Jesus Christ is risen from the dead having slapped death in the face for all of us.

Troy Brewer is the pastor of Open Door ministries near Joshua and Crowley and can be reached through his Web site at www.freshfromthebrewer.com.