Who Has The Time To Look At Truth


 

 

Who Has the Time to Look at Truth     Paula Day Johns

 

The serenity of a majestic mountain, draped in clouds, with its’ peak extending above, reaching, reaching; and the quietness of a hundred million years surrounding it.  It stands motionless, but appearing as if it had knowledge and intellect. Below its’ jagged peaks there is the scurry of a modern city; there are buses, cars, shops, horns, bicycles, and people.

 

There are people; people looking. There are people looking for fun, people looking for relaxation, people looking for love, people looking for keys, people looking for children, and people looking for paychecks. 

There are hotels, motels, waiters, and store clerks; people looking for the end of the day to have some peace.  There are people looking for comforts, people looking for highs, and people looking for an escape.

There are movies and computers, smart phones and tablets, electronic games and social networking; mere technical drugs to keep the mind from the starkness of life and its reality and finality.

 

The majestic mountain frames a contrast of infinity and finiteness, freedom and captivity; beauty and pollution, hope and despair; excitement and boredom.

 

But this image dwindles and fades from the mind quickly; who has the sensitivity, who has the insight to stop and absorb the truth.

 

There is a truth in the mountain that stands in contrast to the ways of our world.

 

There is another truth that stands in contrast to the ways of our world.

 

That is the truth of a man that grew up in Nazareth.  He was planted on earth by a great being.  This being is greater than the mountain.

 

He planted a plan of truth on this planet in order to bring us to Himself because he had such a great love for earth people.

 

The man that He sent to the planet made it clear he was not of this world.  He came with one mission. He came with one truth. 

 

He was so focused and serene, he was so confident in the one that sent him here, he kept saying, I have come to bring you earth people life; not an ordinary life but an abundant life.

 

The man would keep saying over and over again, a hundred times or more, “I tell you the truth”.  He came with the truth, yes, but as you listen to him you realize this man WAS  truth.  He would say extraordinary things like “I am the way, the truth, and the life”. (John 14:6).

 

No one paid much attention to this man, there were sheep to watch, and mortar to mix for building.  There was bread to bake, and the synagogue needed sweeping.  There were clothes to sew and a funeral and a wedding to attend.  He was hardly noticed. 

 

He gained some popularity for awhile because people were walking that had never walked and people were seeing that had never seen.  They gathered to him because they could gather in groups, eat by the sea, and listen to this man bring this revolutionary doctrine rather trendy for the times, but only a few really heard. 

 

They enjoyed the social times, and they admitted he was different; I mean, miracles certainly took place; but who could follow the teachings of one that said, “love your enemies” or “do good to those who persecute you” or “give to the poor”.  Actually, they were rather relieved in the end when it was discovered that he was a rebel and a heretic, according to the authorities, and besides, he only had a few measly followers at his execution, some say it was less than twelve, plus his family.  No truth needed there.

 

It has been discovered since that time that this man indeed not only knew the truth and spoke the truth, he WAS the truth. He keeps telling us in the best seller he wrote, “I tell you the truth”.  Hmmm, we say we want truth, and search for the truth most of our lives, but here this planted savior says, I am the truth, and we turn aside, still looking for truth.

 

“But,” you may say, “I am too absorbed at the foot of mountain; there are too many truths to find what is truly true.  And if it is true for me, does that not make it true?”   Sounds too familiar.

 

As we pause momentarily, in this oasis filled with good food, good friends, and the good life, why not reflect inwardly on the truth?  Just because it may be true for us does not make it true. What is it that we will live for?  Really live for.

 

Can we speak the truth and say, I am a believer in “the Way, the Truth, and the Life”, and therefore I follow him. 

 

It pays to take time to look at truth.

 

 

 

 

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