Sixth Sunday of Easter

"What is truth?"
"Quid est veritas?"
Τί ἐστιν ἀλήθεια (Ti estin aletheia)
 As Pilate asked Jesus. 

Sadly, I think many are trying to figure out the truth right now.

Conflicting reports, differing views, facts that are hard to figure out, 
political posturing, hidden agendas,
it can almost seem like no one is telling the truth!

As Pilate asked Jesus so many years ago,
maybe in jest or rhetorically, perhaps in earnest, or simple curiosity getting the better of him,
we wonder "what is truth?"

While Jesus does not answer Pilate on that fateful day,
Jesus did speak to his disciples about truth 
and quite in depth too.

We heard last week, Jesus say in the gospel passage from John, 
"I am the way, the truth, and the life."
Enigmatic, but important.

And this week we hear Jesus say, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments. And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Advocate, to be with you forever. This is the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him."

Jesus sent us the Spirit of Truth.
But what does that mean?

I'll tell you upfront, 
this is definitely good news!
And I'll tell you something else,
the Spirit of Truth does not give you all the answers,
or really any extra knowledge at all.

When we think about truth,
we tend to think of facts that are certain.
They are the truth, the end of the matter, the final say.
Scientifically, even the question of truth is problematic,
we cannot prove anything absolutely certain. 
In fact, most of what we have proven shows that the only absolute is that there are no absolutes! 
Philosophically, the question of truth is also a quagmire. 
Any understanding of truth includes large portions of communally held beliefs which cannot be proven, and thus are unsustainable in inclusion in any definition. 

Yet, we have this lingering feeling, 
this soul knowledge we cannot seem to connect with,
a knowing, that there is some truth.
And we would all feel better for knowing what it is.

What Jesus says about the truth is that He is the truth.
God is truth.
When Jesus talks about sending the spirit of truth,
Jesus talks about sending the Holy Spirit, part of God who is truth
to be with us and guide us.
Jesus never says, when the Spirit of Truth comes, you'll know everything, you'll feel certain about everything, and you can hold it all over your neighbor.
No, he talks about the Spirit of Truth as a guide, an advocate, and a parent.
Jesus tells his disciples he won't leave them orphaned.
As if they were little kids without supervision.

As we dive into this question about truth, the only thing that seems certain about truth
is that it is in relationship.
Truth starts out with God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
always in relationship.
Truth is given to us by the Spirit of truth, a parent, a guide, an advocate.
Truth has to do with love and entering into the relationship of Love that is God
and sharing that love with others.

Thus, our certainty in truth rests in our relationship with God.

I'm not at all surprised the disciples were confused by this teaching.
We want truth to be something concrete! Something we can know with our minds!
(Indeed, it would be helpful if God spoke the facts of everything right out of the sky right now.)
But that kind of truth is actually so small in comparison to what Jesus is offering.
A single concrete fact is like a speck of sand to the universe of reality of Truth Jesus is calling us into.
Resting in relationship with the Spirit of Truth which is the Holy Spirit
is so much deeper and richer and more eternal 
than any little certain fact we could know about life on this planet. 

So how can we know the truth?
By being in relationship with God.
By resting in our relationship with the Holy Spirit.

As I tell all the couples I work with during premarital counseling,
the number one aspect to a good relationship is communication, 
mostly listening.
We have to listen.
Listen to each other.
Listen in prayer.
Listen with our hearts. 
Listen deeply, 
listen closely, 
listen with your mind, soul, and spirit, 
listen until you cannot listen anymore 
and then listen some more. 

The Spirit of Truth is speaking to us. 
The Spirit of Truth is going to guide us into the future. 
When we listen to the voice of the Spirit of Truth, we can rest in certainty, 
not in knowing the outcome, but knowing the love and grace of God,
knowing that God is working good for us.

As a teen at church camp, we learned the song, "The Voice of Truth" by Casting Crowns, a Christian band with a long list of hits. 
The refrain of the song says:
"But the voice of truth tells me a different story
The voice of truth says, "Do not be afraid!"
The voice of truth says, "This is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth."

Listen.
Listen for the Spirit of Truth.

Amen. 





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