It’s the week of the Christmas Octave. Eight days of special celebrations! There are various ways in which we could celebrate - a party with games and frolic, with food and booze, with special friends or relatives, or away from the maddening crowd.
How about an exploration trip? Exploring to find meaning in the things of life or exploring to find that ultimate truth of life: God Himself.
At times people - keep themselves busy to avoid, or to forget the realities of life. Some even run away from a place or country in order to wash from their memory the bitter moments experienced. On the other hand, we have those, who will go to extremes, to eliminate others, who are a threat to their lives for their very existence, (of the latter) could bring about their downfall. In the Holy Scriptures, we have Herod seeking the life of Jesus, and thus we have the feast of the Holy Innocents.
Truth is difficult to face and sometimes we tend to shade it with our own color and tint. Truth causes us no harm but we could feel insecure and threatened by its presence.
What is Truth? - Conformity to fact or actuality; Faithfulness to the original or to a standard. For us Christians, Truth is to be found in the person of Christ Jesus, in conformity to His mindset and faithfulness in emulating His example, as seen in the Gospels.
Truth is not always what we believe it to be or what we are convinced about. The documents of Vatican Council II says;” Truth is not immanent to man”. In other words, we could be having a brain storming session to try to reach the truth and yet may not arrive at the truth.
Understanding this reality then could be disappointing and depressing. The great philosophers who understood this, acknowledged the reality of searching for and viewing things from one’s own perspective. Yet this does not mean that there is no such thing as objective truth. Truth sometimes cannot be arrived at, through logic, but we can sense it in our conscience (the inner man). It’s like flies sensing sugar or a well bred dog sensing a distant visitor or animals sensing an oncoming tsunami or earthquake.
Even if reason arrives at some semblance of truth, it is ultimately a leap in faith that makes things possible. Without faith it is impossible to please God (Hb.11:6). Just knowing or having a sense is not enough, just having a right thought is not enough. One needs to act. Faith is that action which makes things possible because God in his great mercy constantly reveals Himself by means of the Holy Spirit to us as He did first in His Son Jesus (Jn.16:13). Christian Truth is not a derived truth nor is it a man made religion. God came to us in Christ Jesus (Jn.1:14). The eternal Word who was in the beginning with God became flesh and lived among us.
Therefore as Christians we have the divine responsibility to proclaim what we have received, touched and experienced to others (1Jn.1:1-3). Yet we may give of what we have intellectually learnt about the Truth. Dishing out what is abstract concerning the truth.
I am the Truth (Jn.14:6). Look no further. Unfortunately, there are many who have begun in Christ and are looking elsewhere; in other religious beliefs and philosophies and New Age practices.
There are those in responsible positions but with irresponsible mindsets who proclaim and promote all kinds of syncretistic teachings and thoughts. Truth for them is a search for that elusive human wisdom that is mired in a lie and is the domain of the evil one.
As for us, we count on the mercy of God who guides His chosen ones with the help of His Holy Spirit and continues to lead us into all truths (Jn.16:13).
Prayer: Lord Jesus, You are the one the world should be looking for as their ultimate find (treasure). Come Holy Spirit and help me in my ongoing search that I may be open to your wisdom and your power working in me so that I may be transformed in every way to be God’s instrument
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