"...in Christian understanding truth is neither an object "out there" nor a proposition about such objects. Instead, truth is personal, and all truth is known in personal relationships. Jesus is a paradigm, a model of this personal truth. In him, truth, once understood as abstract, principled, propositional, suddenly takes on a human face and a human frame. In Jesus, the disembodied "word" takes flesh and walks among us. Jesus calls us to truth, not in the form of creeds or theologies or world-views. His call to truth is a call to community - with him, with each other, with creation and its Creator. If what we know is an abstract, impersonal, apart from us, it cannot be truth, for truth involves a vulnerable, faithful, and risk-filled interpenetration of the knower and the known".
(from To Know As We Are Known; A Spirituality of Education by Parker J. Palmer)
A suggestion for your prayer and meditation:
One of my closest friends in college and I used to sit for hours and contemplate together the meaning of truth with a capital "T". As young evangelicals we felt a sense of urgency to understand and speak of ultimate truth with conviction and authority. This book by Parker Palmer helped me move away from the need to be right toward the much more difficult necessity of living harmoniously with all of creation - even those parts I don't like so much, like those who think they have all the answers.
What does truth mean to you?
When have you felt connected to something true?
In what way does Christ embody truth in your life?
Spend five minutes matching your breath with these words:
"Spirit of truth, wash over me"
Pastor Patty Fox 40 days with 40 Christian mystics
Truth for me is about that connectedness, as opposed to disengagement. If you feel connected to someone or something you see the truth in it, it or they are no longer "other". For me that connectedness is the Holy Spirit, helping us see God in all things and all people.
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