Cascade View Covenant Church

Chipmunk, Rabbit or...Squirrel?

I was on my morning walk a couple weeks ago and just a few feet away I saw a small figure dart from a yard, cross the sidewalk, jump and scramble up a tree. At that same moment a guy was coming from the opposite direction and when he was close I said, “Hey, was that your pet chipmunk running up the tree?” He laughed and said, “I thought it was a rabbit until it started climbing up the tree.” But then he added, “I think it might have been a squirrel without a tail.”

Last week I was on my usual route when I came to the same place as before, and a couple of feet in front of me appeared a squirrel without a tail. As he scampered up the same tree, he paused and looked down at me—I was worried he was going to pounce and attack me. I asked the squirrel, “What happened to your tail?” Luckily for me he didn’t attack but climbed out over a limb, jumped onto another tree and disappeared.

It got me thinking about our current climate. It appears our country is divided not over facts, but over what we prefer to see—what we want to see. I saw a chipmunk. The other guy saw a rabbit. But the truth was and is, it was a squirrel, without a tail. I have to admit, when I saw the squirrel up close the second time with his little stubby tail, he did look like a bunny.

Truth doesn’t come through the accumulation of data or information. Truth doesn’t come from what the majority says, or shared ideologies. The dangers and problem with social media, are algorithms and echo chambers can muffle the truth. So we need to hold our opinions lightly and Jesus tightly. Stepping away from social media is a good and healthy way of recalculating and pursuing a better way. A changed mind isn’t failure—it’s formation. Confession and saying,“I was wrong” is where the pursuit of truth begins. Truth grows when we can humbly say, "I might be wrong."

Jesus says, “If you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free”— John 8:31–32. Truth isn’t just information—it’s liberation that comes from staying close to Jesus and His Word. And we’re not left to figure it out alone. Jesus promised the Spirit of truth who “…will guide you into all truth”—John 16:13. Together, the Word and the Spirit adjust our lenses so we don’t just see what we want to see—we learn to see as Jesus sees.

In our pursuit of truth ask, “What am I missing?” Invite perspectives beyond your usual circle. Let Scripture and the Spirit, not social media, challenge your preferences and confirm what’s true. Speak with grace. Even when you’re right, stay humble and kind.