On Being Truthful

Reflection on
Mt. 5:33-37

Today’s Gospel tells us about Jesus’ teaching about oaths. He explained to them that an oath does not guarantee truthfulness and challenged them as Bro. Chester fittingly puts it, to say what they mean and mean what they say. Jesus tackles this human tendency of veering away from the truth. As I reflect over this reading, I realized that indeed there is something about being truthful that is scary.

It is scary because, too often, when we encounter the truth of the matter, one is being led to admit, to be transparent and to be vulnerable. To do such would also mean one must endure, to bear and to face the consequences of having to embrace the truth. And we know that this is never easy. Indeed, unmasking the truth can be a very painful experience.

The truth, a lot of times can also become a ‘threat’ to us and to others. We hear of Jun Lozada, in his advocacy to tell the truth puts him and the people around him, like his family, on the brink of more troubles. Likewise, we find it a threat that people around us may find us not being truthful. We are afraid to be tagged [in Tagalog slang] as being ‘plastic’ or ‘Orocan’ or ‘fake’. Then of course, there is always this tendency to alter the ‘truth’ to fit our own needs and image. When we try to project an image that is not truthful to whom we really are. This is scary because we might lose our own identity along the way.

The truth is scary because, it compels us to do what needs to be done. A lot of times, it is much easier to just let things remain as they are. It is easier just to play safe, or, to just pretend that we are in control of whatever unfreedom we gained from the untruths of our lives. It brings to me the image of a broken arm. If you won’t touch or do something about it, it may not give you pain. But you know the truth that it needed a fix and the process will be painful. In facing the truth, we must take the risk to act on whatever hinders us from it. But amidst all of these fears, deep inside us we know that we are constantly in need of knowing the truth. In the same way, we all have an innate yearning to embrace the realities of our lives.

In my own experience of discernment, I realized how significant it is to be truthful to myself and how I feel about things. I realized how important it is to be always open and truthful to my spiritual directors in order for them to help me better in my discernment. Most importantly, I realized how significant it is to be truthful to my God.

To be open and truthful to God demands greater trust, hope and love in Him. Over the years I realized that the openness and truthfulness are indications of a deepening of my relationship with Him. To be truthful before God, led me to a more intimate and personal relationship with Him. To be truthful to God means to be courageous – courageous enough to embrace the realities of life, even the most painful, shameful, unacceptable and broken part of it. To be truthful before God means to become vulnerable to his love and vulnerable enough to let Him enlighten the untruths of our lives. Then we realize our intrinsic need and thirst of the truth can only be quenched by the Source of the Truth Himself – Him who said, I am the truth, the Way and the Life.

As we continue our journey here in Arvisu House, we ask the Lord for the grace of courage to face and embrace the truths of our lives. May all of us be led to greater trust and love of God, the Lord of truth, the only one who can truly set us free. Amen.

Para sa mga katoto sa Bahay Arvisu
Saturday June 13, 2009