JC et al.--Living in Truth 16

Final Thoughts

Ecce homo. Antonio Ciseri c. 1880.

.

This is the final entry on "living in truth." One way to use the 16 entries is to review them over the course of several days. For example: read one per day (online or printed); reflect on it;  and make at least one personal application. You can do this on your own, with a friend, or as a small group. These entries by JC et al. are meant to shine light on our virtues as well as bolster our resolve to face our own distortions—memories, motivations, and morality—and to live more honestly (in truth) with ourselves and others. Truth is a foundation for trust. And trust is necessary for peace. "So love truth and peace." (Zech. 8:19) 

*****

Truth-telling, struggling for justice, working toward forgiveness: these are three central dimensions of the social process of reconciliation. In all situations I know, they are never undertaken on a level playing field; the consequences of oppression, violence, and war are not predisposed to honesty, justice, and even good intentions in all parties. Nor are the processes, for the most part, orderly. And they never seem complete, in fact, we usually experience them as truncated, prematurely foreclosed, high-jacked by the powerful. We can find ourselves acquiescing to half-measures, half-truths, compromised solutions. Robert Schreiter, Reconciliation as a New Paradigm in Mission (2005). Quoted in Global Member Care: The Pearls and Perils of Good Practice 2011, p. 114 (quoted also in the Reality DOSE article, available in 12 languages: https://sites.google.com/site/mcaresources/).

*****

Everyone on the side of truth listens to me.

Jesus Christ (excerpt of his interaction with Pilate) 
John 18:37, NIV

JC et al.—Living in Truth 15

Restating the Obvious

10 Atrocious Genocides in Human History

(Mike Devlin, 3 May 2013, ListVerse, photo above--Bosnia)

http://listverse.com/2013/05/03/10-atrocious-genocides-in-human-history/

.

 “We have reached the point in history, George Orwell said, when the first duty of intelligent people is to restate the obvious. Never has evil been so powerful, so obvious, and so destructive as in our modern world. Never has our language to describe it and our ethical will to resist it been so uncertain and so confused…Never has the responsibility of free men and women been so urgent.  Never has Edmund Burke’s admonition been more timely: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.” What then should we do? The choice—and the consequences—is ours and our children’s.” Os Guinness. (2004). Never Again? You Never Know. But not through me: Seven steps to facing up to the challenge of evil and suffering. The Trinity Forum, page 6.

.

“He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.” Jesus Christ, Luke: 16:10 NASB

JC et al.--Living in Truth 14

Learning from History

"The Cold War techniques of secrecy, snooping, and misinformation, used against foreign governments and foreign populations, became tools of domestic politics, a means to harass critics, build support for questionable policies, or cover up blunders. The very ideals that we [Americans] had promised to export overseas were being betrayed at home. All these trends came to a head in [the Vietnam War]… Americans began to realize  that the best and the brightest in Washington didn’t always know what they were doing—and didn’t always tell the truth….I wonder, sometimes, whether men and women in fact are capable of learning from history—whether we progress from one stage to the next in an upward course or whether we just ride the cycles of boom and bust, war and peace, ascent and decline….And perhaps the world’s fate depends not just on the events of its battlefields; perhaps it depends just as much on the work we do in those quiet places that require a helping hand."  Senator Barak Obama 2006 The Audacity of Hope (chapter eight, The World Beyond Our Borders, pages 287, 322)

*****

"You know that those who are recognized as rulers of the Gentiles [nations]lord it over them; and their great men exercise authority over them. But it is not this way among you, but whoever wishes to become great among you shall be your servant; and whoever wishes to be first among you shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." Jesus Christ, Mark 10: 42-45, NASB

JC et al.--Living in Truth 13

 Improving Human Hearts and Consciences

"Thousands of refugees from Syria are pouring over the border into Iraqi Kurdistan, the UN refugee agency says." Click here or below to watch the two minute BBC report: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-23745201

"...the world community has further advanced [the international human rights] dimension of its mission [more] than in any other field, and the international consciousness about genocides and other abuses of rights is higher today than at any other time...the disappointments come with the knowledge--amply provided by UN agencies, the churches, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, and others--that so many governments, large and small, are still acting in defiance of the Universal Declaration [or Human Rights], the Geneva conventions [the rules of international humanitarian law in armed conflicts], and all subsequent protocols. Few countries have completely clean hands, a number of them are major culprits, and where political order has collapsed, the atrocities multiply. ...international pressure against abuses has to be kept up...But the real improvements will come in the hearts and consciences of humankind, not in additional machinery [that is, structures and documents]. Paul Kennedy, The Parliament of Man: The Past, Present, and Future of the United Nations (2006), excerpts from chapter 8, "The Promise and Peril of the 21st Century" pp. 272-273, bold font added

*****

 "When reports come in of wars and rumored wars, keep your head and don’t panic. This is routine history; this is no sign of the end. Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Famines and earthquakes will occur in various places. This is nothing compared to what is coming....Staying with it—that’s what God requires. Stay with it to the end. You won’t be sorry, and you’ll be saved. All during this time, the good news—the Message of the kingdom—will be preached all over the world, a witness staked out in every country. And then the end will come....This is going to be trouble on a scale beyond what the world has ever seen, or will see again. If these days of trouble were left to run their course, nobody would make it. But on account of God’s chosen people, the trouble will be cut short....Then, the Arrival of the Son of Man! It will fill the skies—no one will miss it." Jesus Christ, excerpts from Matthew 24, The Message, bold font added

JC et al.--Living in Truth 12

Kūmāré and Christós

 Kumare—the movie.

Worth watching.
Here is the two-minute movie trailer:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OXUzG6YKuvo)

Here is the opening 10 minutes of the movie:

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xrjoqw_kumare-exclusive-movie-clip_shortfilms

 *****

·         Faith begins as an experiment an ends with an experience (opening quote in the movie).
·         If you act like a guru then you can become a guru.
·         You don’t know if I am good or I am bad.
·         You see, I am not who you think that I am.
·         [It’s] the biggest lie I‘ve ever told and the greatest truth I’ve ever known.
Vikram Ghandi (aka Sri Kumare)

 *****

·         Popularity contests are not truth contests—look how many scoundrel preachers were approved by your ancestors! Your task is to be true, not popular.
·         To you who are ready for the truth, I say this: Love your enemies. Let them bring out the best in you, not the worst.
·         If someone takes unfair advantage of you, use the occasion to practice the servant life. No more tit-for-tat stuff. Live generously.
·         Give away your life; you’ll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing.
·         It’s who you are, not what you say and do, that counts. Your true being brims over into true words and deeds.
Jesus Christ, Luke 6, The Message

JC et al.--Living in Truth 11

Grace is Pro Bono, Bono is Pro-Grace

 

 U2--Yahweh

Video:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkEQS5SJZPU

Lyrics:http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Yahweh-lyrics-U2/87C1BB5463F0EB8248256F20000624DA

“It's a mind-blowing concept that the God who created the universe might be looking for company, a real relationship with people, but the thing that keeps me on my knees is the difference between Grace and Karma….You see, at the center of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics; in physical laws every action is met by an equal or an opposite one. It's clear to me that Karma is at the very heart of the universe. I'm absolutely sure of it. And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that "as you reap, so you will sow" stuff. Grace defies reason and logic. Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff….That's between me and God. But I'd be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge. I'd be in deep s---. It doesn't excuse my mistakes, but I'm holding out for Grace. I'm holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don't have to depend on my own religiosity.” Excerpt from the book Bono: In Conversation with Michka Assayas (2005). Retrieved from: http://www.thepoachedegg.net/the-poached-egg/2010/09/bono-interview-grace-over-karma.html

*****

“Behold I am making all things new….I will give to the one who thirsts from the spring of the water of life without cost….Behold I am coming quickly, and my reward is with Me, to render to every man according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end….And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who wishes take the water of life without cost.”  Jesus Christ, Revelation 21:5-6; 22:12,17 NASB

JC et al.--Living in Truth 10

Loving People

Jorge Mario Bergoglio (now Pope Francis), washing feet.

.

I like your Christ. I do not like your Christians.

Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.
(attributed to Mahatma Gandhi)

..

 When he had finished washing their feet, he put on his clothes and returned to his place. “Do you understand what I have done for you?” he asked them.  “You call me ‘Teacher’ and ‘Lord,’ and rightly so, for that is what I am.  Now that I, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also should wash one another’s feet.  I have set you an example that you should do as I have done for you.  Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.  Now that you know these things, you will be blessed if you do them. Jesus Christ, John 13: 14-15, NIV

JC et al.--Living in Truth 9

Speaking Truth to Power

.

“Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall….Yes, across Europe, this wall will fall, for it cannot withstand faith; it cannot withstand truth. The wall cannot withstand freedom.” US President Ronald Reagan, at the Brandenburg Gate, 12 June 1987

Watch his speech here:
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjWDrTXMgF8

Text of the speech:
http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/ronaldreaganbrandenburggate.htm
.

"There are many people in the world who really don't understand, or say they don't, what is the great issue between the free world and the Communist world. Let them come to Berlin. There are some who say that communism is the wave of the future. Let them come to Berlin. And there are some who say in Europe and elsewhere we can work with the Communists. Let them come to Berlin. And there are even a few who say that it is true that communism is an evil system, but it permits us to make economic progress. Lass'sie nach Berlin kommen. Let them come to Berlin." US President John Kennedy,  West Berlin, 26 June 1963

Watch his speech here: 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hH6nQhss4Yc.

 .

“For throughout all this history, the fate of this city came down to a simple question:  Will we live free or in chains? Under governments that uphold our universal rights, or regimes that suppress them? In open societies that respect the sanctity of the individual and our free will, or in closed societies that suffocate the soul?” US President Barak Omama, Brandenburg Gate, 19 June 2013. Read his speech here: 
http://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2013/06/19/remarks-president-obama-brandenburg-gate-berlin-germany

*****

“Don’t be intimidated. Eventually everything is going to be out in the open, and everyone will know how things really are. So don’t hesitate to go public now. Don’t be bluffed into silence by the threats of bullies. There’s nothing they can do to your soul, your core being. Save your fear for God, who holds your entire life—body and soul—in his hands." 
Jesus Christ, Matthew 10: 24-27, The Message

JC et al.--Living in Truth 8

Dissidents

This PBS News Report commemorates and discusses the exemplary life of Václav Havel--the writer, dissident, and former president of the Czech Republic. It was done shortly after his death in December 2011 at the age of 75. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I_SCXfR2wHw

. 

The dissident does not operate in the realm of genuine power at all. He is not seeking power. He has no desire for office and does not gather votes. He does not attempt to charm the public, he offers nothing and promises nothing. He can offer, if anything, only his own skin--and he offers it solely because he has no other way of affirming the truth he stands for. His actions simply articulate his dignity as a citizen, regardless of the cost. Václav Havel

*****

I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  The hired hand is not the shepherd and does not own the sheep. So when he sees the wolf coming, he abandons the sheep and runs away. Then the wolf attacks the flock and scatters it...I lay down my life for the sheep. The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. Jesus Christ, John 10: 11-12, 17

JC et al.--Living in Truth 7

Beyond Death

Image from Rohan Book of Hours, 15th Century

 

King today, corpse tomorrow.

Ecclesiasticus 10:10

 

*****

 

I am the resurrection and the life.

Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying.

Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die.

Jesus Christ, John 11:25,26 NLT

JC et al.--Living in Truth 6

Self-Justification

It's just amazing how other people get stuck...
 

"Most people, when directly confronted by evidence that they are wrong, do not change their point of view or course of action but justify it even more tenaciously. Even irrefutable evidence is rarely enough to pierce the mental armor of self-justification…."

.

"That is why self-justification is more powerful and more dangerous than the explicit lie. It allows people to convince themselves that what they did was the best thing they could have done. In fact, come to think of it, it was the right thing. “There was nothing else I could have done.” “Actually, it was a brilliant solution to the problem.” “It was doing the best for the nation.”…."

.

"Now between the conscious lie to fool others and unconscious self-justification to fool ourselves lies a fascinating gray area, patrolled by that unreliable, self-serving historian—memory. Memories are often pruned and shaped by an ego-enhancing bias that blurs the edges of past events, softens culpability, and distorts what really happened…Over time, as the self-serving distortions of memory kick in and we forget or distort past events, we may come to believe our own lies, little by little….Before long, we have persuaded ourselves, believing privately what we originally said publically…."

.

"Yet mindless self-justification, like quicksand, can draw us deeper into disaster. It blocks our ability to even see our errors, let alone correct them. It distorts reality, keeping us from getting all the information we need and assessing issues clearly. It prolongs and widens rifts between lovers, friends, and nations. It keeps us from letting go of unhealthy habits. It permits the guilty to avoid taking responsibility for their deeds. And it keeps many professionals from changing outdated attitudes and procedures that can be harmful to the public. "

.

Mistakes Were Made (but not by me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions, and Hurtful Acts,  Carol Tavris and Elliot Aronson, 2007; excerpts from pages 4-10

*****

.

You are those who justify yourselves in the sight of men,
but God knows your hearts;

for that which is highly esteemed among men is detestable in the sight of God.

(Luke 16:15)

.

Note: Matthew 23 goes into far more detail about the hypocrisy and consequences of our self-justifications—especially for people with leadership positions and personas.

JC et al.--Living in Truth 5

I Am

What's wrong with the world?

I am.

G.K. Chesterton 

(quoted in Christianity Today, April 2013, p. 39)

*****

Unless you believe that I am,

you will die in your sins.

Jesus Christ, John 8:24

JC et al.--Living in Truth 4

Seeing Ourselves--and Others--Clearly

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOqWT2tk9Js

(This trippy little video shares some interesting facts about Patrick.
It does not address his character or his heart for the Irish people.) 

.
Ego Patricius,

peccator rusticissimus

et minimus omnium fidelium

et contemptibilis sum apud plurimos.

.

I am Patrick,

a most unlearned sinner,

the least of all the faithful,

and utterly despised by many.

.

Patrick's impact on 5th century Ireland was multiplied far beyond the Irish shores, via his colleagues and their progeny, his example, and his autobiography, the Confessio (Confessions of Saint Patrick). His opening sentence in The Confessions, cited above, reflects his comitment to live in truth with humility and perseverance. The Patrick of history is far more attractive--with all of his strengths and weaknesses--than the Patrick of legend. His understanding of the person and worth of Christ spurred him and his companions onward as they worked among the Irish.

.

Ὑμεῖς δὲ τίνα με λέγετε εἶναι 

Who do you say I am?

Jesus Christ, Matthew 16:15 

JC et al.--Living in Truth 3

Following the Truth

 

Martyrdom of Felicitas and Perpetua, Carthage, 7 March 203

(1800 and 10  years ago; Feast day 7 March)

Canvas by Felix Louis Leuiller, XIX century

.

"Perpetua was not alone in her cell. She had her baby boy, no more than a few weeks old, and she was thankful for this…She kept him with her all the time and fed him at her breast in the hot, fetid darkness of the crowded cell. And she prayed for him: that he too, as he grew, would come to know the way of truth – and not fear to follow it. Then there was Felicitas, faithful Felicitas, a servant but far more than a servant. She was a sister in Christ, and a dear friend. Felicitas was afraid, but not of death; she was afraid that she would be left behind. Even the Roman Empire did not execute pregnant women, and Felicitas was eight months with child…."

.

 "When the day of their trial was announced, Perpetua’s father came again… “Daughter,” he said. “Pity my grey hairs! Have pity on your father, if I am worthy to be called your father. Don’t make me a cause of mockery before men. Don’t bring about our ruin, for none of us will dare to show his face if you are condemned.” He threw himself at her feet, and wept in despair, imploring her to turn back from the wretched and abhorrent path she had chosen. She stood before him quietly, waiting for him to finish what he had to say. He said it, and left, heavy-hearted; he took with him her baby son….Sentence was pronounced and she was condemned, with the others, to face the wild beasts in the arena."

.

"The next day, the 7th March AD 203, Perpetua, Felicitas, and the three young men, Saturus, Saturninus and Revocatus were led out into the arena – the public amphitheatre where the games and chariot races were held. They felt relief that their ordeal would soon be over, and gladness at the thought of the welcome they would so soon receive in their heavenly home. They were beaten as they passed between the lines of soldiers...The vast crowd roared around them from the benches as they walked bravely into the open space in the middle of the amphitheatre. At last the beasts, enraged by hunger and the goadings of their captors, were turned loose... "

.
Excerpted from:
This Holy Seed: Faith, Hope, and Love in the Early Churches of North Africa. Robin Daniel (1992).
.
More info:
“Perpetua and Felicity, ”New World Encyclopedia , retrieved from  http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Perpetua_and_Felicity
.

Some commentary:

http://www.simplecatholicliving.com/guest-posts/saints-perpetua-and-felicity

*****

Be faithful unto death and I will give you the crown of life.

Jesus Christ, Revelation 2:10

 

JC et al.--Living in Truth 2

Discerning Truth (and Lies)

 Approaching the 40^th anniversary of Tolkien's death in 1973

.

 There I was at fault…I was lulled by the words of Saruman the Wise;

but I should have sought for the truth sooner,
and our peril would now be less....

And then alas! I let the matter rest, watching and waiting only,
as we have too often done.

Gandalf at the Council of Elrond, The Fellowship of the Ring, JRR Tolkien

 .
.

 If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure.

Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.

 Jesus Christ, John 8:31

JC et al.--Living in Truth 1

Totalitarian Lies

 Solzhenitsyn in a Soviet gulag. 1953--60 years ago

.

'Let the lie come into the world,

let the lie even dominate the world--

but it will not come through me.' 

Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn, Nobel Prize address 1970
 

.

'If people do these things when the tree is green,

what will people do when the tree is dry?'

Jesus Christ, en route to Golgatha
Luke 23:31