Jesus said: “I am the way, the truth and the life”. In other words, to follow Jesus is to live in a particular way that honours truth more than anything else. Jesus did not say: “I am the way, the peace/provider/safety and the life”. If he had said this then we would be excused for shaping our lives around acquiring peace, material comfort and safety, which is what so many of us do. (We only have to reflect on the content of our prayers to see whether this is true or not.)
The truthful way is the Jesus-way. Therefore the truth-full way is the life-enabling/life-giving/life-receiving/life-creating way. The promise of the Jesus-way or the truth-full way, is LIFE. Truthful living brings life — life before death, and after. And when we experience this life — this abundant life — conceived, laboured and birthed — by truth-full living, then true peace is given to us (even in the midst of conflict), and material comfort becomes more immaterial, while safety is exchanged for salvation — which is (among other things) the liberation from the fear that provokes our need for safety in the first place.
Not only is truth-full living loyalty to Jesus — but it is also the highest loyalty we can offer others, organisations institutions, our country and world, as a whole. With this I conclude with a quote:
“Loyalty that hides problematic conduct is a false loyalty, for it elevates reputation over reality, and esteems image over character. Though we may believe we are acting to protect the institution, in reality we do the institution and individuals far greater damage …” John I. Jenkins
Alan
