Answering in Truth

Dear Eugene,

Yesterday I talked about truth and courage.  Yes, truth is courageous!  Or should I say truth gives us courage?

A piece of truth revealed to me by, say, a scientist will necessarily call out something in me to respond to its truthfulness.

I could respond by saying, Well, it's good to know, especially when I need to know stuffs like this to pass test.  I shall bury this knowledge in no time, unlearning it quicker than uninstalling a useless app in my phone...

Or I could say, Let me exploit it; it's all about the moolah!  For me, for my kids, for my country, in the name of Me the truth-giver.  People shall remember me for upholding the truth and making mankind great again!

Or I could say, Holy luck, how did I stumble into such truth?  I could have been blind all my life, but now I can see a creative potentiality in my new knowing, grand possibilities hitherto unbeknownst erstwhile unto this little me!  My shoulders are heavy, because, now that I know this truth, what am I going to do about it?  There is a heavy responsibility in knowing!  What am I going to do with it?

Answering to truth is a human vocation.  To do nothing with our knowing is too an answer.

And our faithful answering shall always call us to seek deeper truth, fuller truth, to go from specialized knowledge to all-embracing vision, from the piecemeal to the wholesome, from disintegration to integration, from little plot-lines to the Grand Story.

The assumption is there is an order to things, a final reason to our many Whys, and a matrix, a Way to undergird our seeking of meaning, a Person to comment on whether we have been truthful in our vocation to speak the Truth.  Only a personal Being, a first, final, everlasting Word, could speak such conclusive--for lack of a better word--judgement on our life.

If one finds such prospect repulsive, one must ask why we never stop judging everything and everyone.  The news is all about speaking words of judgement on others (and, sometimes, very rarely, honest judgement on ourselves).  This very moment you are judging me for my words.

We hate to be judged because what people speak about us is never the full truth.  Though this never stops us from judging others as if we are speaking a final word to write them off for good.

Another week, another superhero movie.


We know we can't use violence to set the world right, but we can't stop bumping our money into stories about violence and indoctrinating our kids with--again, for lack of a better word, but not as dirty as the one before--shit.

Real heroes do not align themselves with "the prince of the power of the air."  Real heroes do not splash their face on Burj Khalifa to celebrate their violent ways to set the world right.

The Truth speaks.  The Truth judges.  The Truth has a Way to bring to bear her life-giving power.  And it is not through the hands of "avengers."  Violence is not courage; it is cowardice.

Wrong response.  Fake good news.

Yours, Alex

Comments

  1. KartiniApril 29, 2018 at 1:57 AM

    Dear Eugene,

    The truth is I look & feel like crap. Truth gives me courage to admit.

    Enumerating the reasons would be repulsive: I have over-expended on cosmetics & gossip; over-indulged in lard & syrup; undermined a colleague's project out of envy; understated another's work out of conceit.

    At times, Truth confronts in the most cruel tone at the most crucial moment.

    A few years ago, I was about to purchase my first, new home. I was 50 min away from the deadline to submit my electronic signature. All the checkboxes had been marked & verified passionately under the perfect alignment of stars above this pristine lot perched on a hill. Even its address - Crystal Springs Drive - was predestined for me. I could at last prove to all, especially to the doubters, that I had achieved the American dream. I had worked vigorously & I deserved to be recognized, perhaps even admired.

    But "faithful answering shall always call us to seek deeper truth." That night, I wrestled against the Spirit of Truth & surrendered. I could have but chose not to. In bewildered confession, I called my realtor & retracted the plan. Days later, I secured a smaller, humbler home without a garden & without the shiny address but with the blessings of humility & gratitude.

    "People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart." (1 Samuel 16:7)

    "The Truth has a Way to bring to bear her life-giving power." Thank you, Jesus, for persistently re-directing my crappy self prone to self glory, "wrong response" & "fake good news" towards the "Way to undergird our seeking of meaning."

    Yours, K

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownApril 29, 2018 at 10:06 PM

    "faithful answering shall always call us to seek deeper truth"-- I like that!!

    ReplyDelete

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