Bible Readings: John 14:6, 8:31-32, 16:12-15
Jesus said, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
"If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."
"I have much more to say to you, more than you can now bear. But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you."
A Thought
Telling the truth is a fundamental requirement for good family life. Amidst all the unconditional love within a family, there will always be times when one person does something that hurts or upsets another. With the best support a family can offer, there will always be times when we let each other down. How we deal with those times is a mark of the strength of the family ties, and a fundamental key to dealing with problems within any family is truthfulness.
Without truth you can’t build a strong family, and that applies not just in our homes with those we love, but also in our communities, in our country and around the world. In the absence of truth you get fake news, conspiracy theories and wild speculation, and these lead to fear, anxiety and depression, and ultimately to a breakdown in relationships.
Today, with instant access to the media, it is much easier for these deceptions to proliferate, but the problems are not new. Jesus was clearly aware of the need for truth in his day when he made the observation that knowing the truth leads to freedom, and his startling claim to be the truth, a claim that was as controversial in his day as it is today. But is it true? The resurrection of Jesus from the dead, the evidence for which is beyond reasonable doubt, means that we must take his claims seriously, including his claim to be the truth.
Unlike with today’s media though, Jesus’ quest for truth comes within the context of unconditional love, a quest continued by God’s Holy Spirit, whom Jesus said will guide us into all truth.
On a personal level, let us allow Jesus’ love for each of us to illuminate our fears and failings in complete safety, and to lead us to truth and freedom.
On a wider level, let us pray that God’s Holy Spirit will reveal the truth where currently there is fake news, conspiracy theories and wild speculation, and lead people away from fear, anxiety and depression, to freedom in the love of God.
A Prayer
Holy Spirit of Truth, lead me into the freedom that only Jesus can bring, and lead this world you love into truth and freedom.
Amen.