Truth

December 23, 2011

Ezkiel chapters 12:17 through Ezekiel Chapter 16 were my personal reading today. It speaks of end times but also of crisis times. What comes to mind is God saying "They'll seek me but won't find me." Jesus spoke many times about those who would seek him too late or not at all. "You seek the scriptures because in them you have life, but you refuse to come to me."

The passages in Ezekiel, if you look closely, give a picture of how the things that pull us away, keep us away, distort our perception and our vision (goal,focus,horizons), not only outwardly but spiritually-the spiritual manifests itself outwardly. Sometimes visions are destroyed because we get overwhelmed by negative feedback, results/thoughts and attitudes-we get so frustrated and disheartened that we give them up completely. Sometimes perception is distorted and visions are destroyed by denial-the denial of others or own denial of truth. At some point in time, we all have/are given a "moment of truth." From that point on we become accountable to choose truth or lie, life or death, up, down, forward, backward, or stagnation, etc. There's a part about not being able to "save" others from their truths-not even our own children. Rightfully, we cannot or dare not, really.

That brings me to Mary and Joseph. ..especially Mary. They both knew their lives would be completely changed. The bible tells us that Mary "kept all these things in her heart", referring to what the shepherds told her and what the prophet in the temple spoke over her child. She also knew the prohecies and psalms that foretold of his birth. Painful as it must have been for her, she didn't try to alter Jesus' "truth"- she allowed Jesus to live, and die to it.

People everywhere are out doing last minute Christmas shopping. I see some with lists-Sister wants this, brother wants that, so-and-so needs this, etc. Jesus said, "I am the truth, the way, and the life." Perhaps, in all our seearching for the perfect gift, and in all our giving, the best gift we can give a loved one this Christmas is the freedom to face and live their truth-whatever that truth may be. Perhaps, the best gift we can give ourselves this Christmas is the truth. Jesus also said that the truth we know will make us free.