The Truth will set you free..

Above all, don't lie to yourself. The man who lies to himself and listens to his own lie comes to a point that he cannot distinguish the truth within him, or around him, and so loses all respect for himself and for others. And having no respect he ceases to love.
― Fyodor Dostoyevsky


Truth is a beautiful thing! I was just thinking about its power and fierceness yesterday.
Truth has the ability to open the eyes of the blind and soft the hearts of the hardened! Truth is that which can and will penetrate the person because that is what it was made to do. You and I were made for the truth!


This is kind of a bold statement considering the amount of rationalizing, manipulating and lying that goes on in this world. It happens so often that truth does not seem real and what the world has distorted us to think is that truth is,  saving face, getting what I want at all costs and being the person that people want me to be.  The reality is that, that is the LIE- the truth is the very thing that unravels the manipulations, allows us to be real and also pushes us to be everything that we were made to be.  It also calls us to desire that in, not just the world around us, but then company we keep.  I know for myself, their is nothing harder then watching someone living in a false reality. Living in a way that you know denies the very person that they are. It is tough, and what is even tougher is having to be the light of that truth.  The truth is beautiful, but it hurts. It can hurt as bad as a slap in the face, because it surprises the one who has not been living in it and then stings -- It is exactly what you needed and nothing that you wanted.  


The Gospel this third Sunday of Lent spoke very much of truth--Now there were two gospels, Cycle A w/ the scrutinies and Cycle A-- I got the one with the scrutinies and that Gospel spoke of the woman at the well.  She was a woman living in shame--hence why she went to the well at noon, no one went there then because of the heat, so she could go with no worries of being called names or worse, being called out. So she went and Jesus met her there, as he does with all us in the midst of out lies and sins! He met her and spoke to her with not just mercy but firm justice.  He spoke truth to her, knowing that she then would have to make a choice to believe and drink of the living waters that He spoke of to her.  He brought her sin to the light, and gave her hope through his living waters.  Saying in many ways to her, "you don't have to live this way anymore, and you can have a new life if you want it...there is hope." 


Where there is truth there is hope to be found.  Whatever that truth that is given to you may be. I believe that the reason the truth sets us free is that it gives an opportunity to choose a simpler more life giving way.  I never, and no one ever said,  that way would be easy, but it is a chance to live in a genuine, authentic light.  A light that only Christ can provide for you and me. Christ came to die for us out of love for us and to bring that light of truth upon a dark and hopeless world.  He in many ways asks us to do the same with our lights,
  
You are the light of the world. A city set on a mountain cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house. Just so, your light must shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your heavenly Father. (Mt 5:14-16)


 We are called to be light in a darkened world..we are called to be Christ to others.  As we have received the gift of the truth in healing and forgiveness, we are in turn to go out and do the same. It is scary out there and shining your light is taking quite a risk, but:  if are God is for us, who can be against us. (Rom 8:31)

The key is the relationship with God. Nothing is really difficult when you have love and live in truth.  When you drink of the streams of the living water, you know that the truth you speak is not your own but of the one who has brought you to light.  Who has given you the ability to see such truth--we need to be Christ to others so that the world can be reached. 

Truth is a gift that we are given after being blinded, but I have found that I am even grateful for the times that I was blind to the truth because now I am a light bearer for that road for others.  I think of an image of a man on a dark road that carries a lamp--he is there to meet you in the darkness and that is what we are to be to others.  And we are to walk until they either reject the light or find there own! 

Truth is a hard pill to swallow, but is most medicine that works. It is potent and powerful but when taken allows the body freedom from the suffering that it may be carrying.  

It's funny to me that sometimes we are called to speak truth to others and they may not be showing signs or symptoms--some diseases are masked and or maybe in a latent stage.  Speak the truth and allow God to work through you.  We are only the carriers of the truth and are not the truth itself. 

God is truth, God is light and God is purely and simply love and love is above all what we strive for.  Love requires more than just feelings-- love calls us to die, love calls us to live and love call us always to new life!!!