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The great Russian writer Fyodor Dostoevsky rightly declared “Nothing in this world is harder than speaking the truth, nothing easier than flattery.” And truth has always been the cry of despots, prophets, and politicians with varying degrees of honesty. The whole of the 20th century was dominated by the bastardization of Truth so that whole societies were corrupted by the lies of men seeking power and control rather than service for the people.

Now it looks like the truth is under assault even in “the land of the Free, and the home of the Brave” as we are gripped by a popular ideology that insists that truth is designer based. We get asked “What is your truth.” And we are being told that “truth depends on your experiences.” Everything is relative and dependent on the ephemeral “what makes you happy?”

But for we Christians, we are invited to a deeper understanding of Truth that goes beyond a materialistic notion about being “correct” or merely scientific observation. For we Christians, Truth comes to us as a Person – Jesus Christ is truth. So, truth has everything to do with relationships, and that means Truth is much more complicated and demanding than having a correct opinion!

Look at our lesson today in Ephesians 4:25-32:

Brethren, putting away falsehood, let every one speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another. Be angry but do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. Let the thief no longer steal, but rather let him labor, doing honest work with his hands, so that he may be able to give to those in need. Let no evil talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for edifying, as fits the occasion, that it may impart grace to those who hear. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, in whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, with all malice, and be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

Notice that St. Paul begins telling the Ephesians first, “putting away falsehood.” Of course he means that putting away falsehood is a constant work. Escaping the falsehoods of this world and even our own hearts is a lifetime long labor that doesn’t lend itself to “quick fixes” or self help therapy. We have to confront falsehoods in our own hearts constantly so that we appreciate the power of speaking the truth with our neighbors.

Confronting falsehoods within and without our lives means maturing to the place where we can “be angry” and not sin. The truth is it isn’t a sin to be angry. Anger is a feeling, and feelings are real and must be confronted. But feelings are merely messengers from your heart to your head, bringing you information about your own life. The key to dealing with feelings is actually stepping away from merely reacting to our feelings and actually learning from our feelings about ourselves. Taking a moment to ask “Why am I feeling this now?” “Is this feeling actually about what’s going on or is this just a moment that reminds me of another time in my life?” Your feelings are “gifts” to you only when they are in their proper place as servants to your own self knowledge. When they become “masters” you always find yourself gripped by the false impressions feelings tend to leave that enslave your life to constant reaction instead of freedom.

Falsehood is overcome in your heart and life when you “speak the truth WITH” your neighbor. Isn’t that an interesting twist? And that is because truth is never reducible to merely gathering of facts. No, truth is all about relationships; your honest relationship with yourself, with those around you, and with Jesus Christ. How else can you truly live out the rest of this passage: stop stealing, work with your hands, no evil talk, don’t grieve the Holy Spirit, put away bitterness, wrath, anger, and malice, and be kind to one another. The only way to actually and consistently become the person who can live this way is the way of Truth. And Truth, dear one, is a Person – Jesus Christ. That means prioritizing your relationship with Jesus Christ in the Faith IS Truth. This communion with Christ and yourself and with others is the only lifestyle that can produce an authentic motivation for love and life that makes you like Jesus Christ.

Today, are you in love with Truth? Oh, it’s easy to be gripped with being “right” or “correct” but are you willing to submit all your thoughts and priorities to your relationship with Jesus Christ? Are you willing to be a person who is truly TruthFULL? Being Orthodox on Purpose means more than being correct; it means being in love with Him Who IS Truth!

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