by the Rev Heather Houlton, Associate Priest, Parish of Keighley

IF we see an advert claiming a slimming drink will enable us to lose 10lb in a week, do we trust it? Our experience may make us wary.

Recently we have heard we are living in a "post-truth" society – that is, a society where we make our decisions based less on objective facts stated by experts and more on appeals to emotion.

The danger here is if we are not careful, we are open to being deceived.

Advertisers tell us to buy every new item that comes on the market; "fake news" on social media could mislead us and could even cause division in our community.

The trouble is how do we know what the truth is? It is an important question for our purchases, our personal relationships and our communities. Truth is like a torch that helps us see in the dark, clarifying which decision is best and building up strong relationships.

The Bible contains these surprising words spoken by Jesus Christ: "I am the way, the truth, and the life" (John 14:6). Jesus was a moral and righteous man who was against exaggeration and deceit. So when he says he is "the truth", even though the claim may seem odd, it’s worth paying attention. He invites us to find out more, so that we can be led by him to live in truth and peace with one another.