And Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life…” John 14:6
What is truth? Steve Brown tells us that truth, real truth, is a hard taskmaster. You know with truth, there is no wiggle room, no way to hedge the bet. No way to hide or duck it. Truth is true because it’s…true.”
If you speak the truth, the real truth, in all circumstances, do you wonder how people would react? One skeptic has said that “It’s a sure way to lose friends and irritate people.”
In today’s charged political atmosphere, it is hard to separate truth from rhetoric, truth from “spin”, truth from flat out lies. Ask a politician what color is the sky, the answer might well be “what color do you want it to be?”
Have you ever been scared? Are you scared now? Would you admit it if you were? Or would you sand bag it, put it where no one can see? I’m really anxious, fearful, I don’t know what to do! Would you tell someone you trust? Would you tell anyone? Would you tell Jesus? Truth, now.
Jesus said, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.” Phil 4:6. Are you? Do you? Would you? Truth, now.
Then, in verse 13, later in that same passage, we read this: “I can do all this through Christ who gives me strength.” Do you believe it? Would you act on that? Truth, now.
In the movie A Few Good Men, there is an iconic scene where the Jack Nicholson character says “You can’t handle the truth!” Which raises a basic question, can we handle our own truth? Can we be honest about our weaknesses about our own real truth? Truth, now.
What would Jesus do? Yes, good question. What would you do? Have you ever regretted not acting? Didn’t say anything? Turned your back? The moment presented itself and you passed. Then, later, thoughts of regret. Why didn’t I say something, do something? Can you be honest with yourself. Next time, will you? Truth, now.
What was going through Peter’s mind at that critical moment there on the beach at Capernaum? He has denied knowing Jesus, not once, but three times, And, now the crucifixion is past and Jesus stands before him. What is going through Peters mind? The forgiveness is coming, but it is not there, yet. Hmm.
Do you remember Rachel Scott? Combine School massacre, 1999. With a gun pressed against her head she was told to deny Christ or die. Her father says that her final words were “I cannot deny Christ, he is my savior”. Then she was shot dead.
Have you ever denied Jesus? Better question, when was the last time you denied Jesus? You have, you know. You disagree? Okay, when was the last time you failed to respond to the opportunity to talk about your faith? Perhaps you failed to reach out to another’s needs? Maybe you allowed cruelty to stand unchallenged? Or turned your back on injustice, thinking it’s not my business? How about the time when children were being taken from their parents for expediency or simply out of cruelty, yet you said nothing, other than expressing how awful that was? Would Jesus forgive you? Would you forgive you? Truth! Tell yourself the truth.
In one of his poems, Murray Bodo says this: “Then you reach out to some stranger in need on a crowded bus and your hand feels God’s grip…” God with you when you reach out, strengthened by your faith. Think about that, God using your hands, your heart, your mind, your compassion and your courage. You reach out and you feel God’s grip!
I heard a homily a while ago, during a chapel service, where this little story was told: The 12-year-old girl stood at the service line of her 8th grade volleyball game. It is the first time she has been called upon to serve. The score is tied and her team is counting on her. She is nervous, she is fearful. She never expected the coach to put her into this important game, and now, here she is about to serve. All she could think about is getting this ball over the net. Her parents, in the crowd of cheering parents and fellow students, are thinking the same thing, “please let her get the ball over the net”! Her hand is shaking and breathing is not easy. She starts to serve, strikes the ball, and it sails…
Fear. Fear hits us all, maybe differently in you or in me, but, nevertheless it’s part of our lives, it’s part of how we function in this complicated and difficult time of life. God speaks to us through Isaiah: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.” But we do fear. Do we trust God to be with you? Truth, now.
I have been an 11-year-old-boy, new to the school, shy, youngest in the class, smallest in the class. Standing before a room filled with new classmates, so fearful as to be unable to speak or even read the Current Event in my hand, only to have the teacher ridicule me as I stood there! God’s hand never reached out. It was years before Jesus came, in the midst of many similar storms, and dispelled that fear, planted by that ignorant and uncaring teacher.
A child knows not how to express hurt, pain, injustice. A child hides it, sand bags it, stuffs it away, tells no-one, but it rarely stays hidden. That sad person at the grocery store. That neighbor that you hardly ever see, Why? The sign “Will work for food”, seriously? Where was the hand of the stranger, strengthened by God, reaching out in love? Was that you? Or, did you look the other way? Truth, now.
Later in that same John 14 passage, we read this verse 12: “…whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing and they will do even greater things than these…” and they will do even greater things than these. He is talking to us.
We are one in the spirit, we are one in the Lord, And we pray that our unity will one day be restored. And they’ll know we are Christians by our love, by our love, they will know we are Christians by love.
For What It’s Worth.
-30-
