Brian’s Reflection: Monday, February 13, 2012

It always comes back to the same necessity:
go deep enough and there is a bedrock of truth, however hard.

May Sarton, American poet


I am intrigued that we human beings are so mesmerizingly drawn to the evasion of Truth. Sensible spiritual guides know this. They teach turning away from what is False. Think of John the Baptist: in preparing for the appearance of Jesus, the Saviour, John called the people to come and “repent” – to turn away from self-deception and to embrace fearless self-awareness. Why? Because authentic spiritual wisdom teaches that we can’t in fact “go deep enough” unless we head fearlessly into Truth. Socrates/Plato’s teaching (we don’t know if Socrates actually existed) was “Know Thyself” ….. and that phrase was inscribed in the Pronaos of the Temple of Apollo at Delphi.

Now: May Sarton seems to suggest that, if we can indeed go “deep enough”, there is a “bedrock of truth”. I don’t know if I agree with her. Though I would like to.

What I do know is that “hard” is a sign of authenticity. I also know that, when one embraces and welcomes “hardness”, something that Jesus said then makes sense: “My yoke is easy and my burden light”. In other words, when we learn to trust “hardness” and not to fear it’s challenge, Life lightens up, and Freedom washes over us.

There seems to be a “natural tendency” to avoid Truth. But Jesus said, “You will know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free”. If “religion” is useful and worthy of commitment, it will teach us to embrace the Truth … and that will set us free.

Go Deep. Find the bedrock of Truth. Do not be afraid (as Jesus often said).

There lies Peace.

Brian+