“… [Y]ou will know the truth, and the truth will set you free” (John 8:32). These are some of the most well-known words in the Gospel of John. Before exploring the meaning of “truth”, let’s look at what it might mean to be free.
Most of us consider ourselves free. After all, we are not physically enslaved and we live in a free country, right? If we looked on a deeper level, perhaps we would discover much from which we would like to be freed. Are there anxieties, concerns, addictions, circumstances, or forms of oppression from which we would like to be freed? And yet there is another question that we need to ask: Do we even want to be free? After the Israelites were led to freedom by Moses, they turned against him and God. They asked Moses why he had led them into the desert when they would have been better off enslaved in Egypt where they at least had food and water (Numbers 21:4-5). Sometimes we resist freedom and prefer to remain enslaved to what binds us because of our comfortability with the known and our fear of the unknown. Yet, Jesus encourages us to seek freedom. And he tells us that the truth will set us free.
Perhaps we can identify with Pilate in asking “What is truth?” (John 18:38). What does “truth” mean to us? Where can we find it in a world with so much hurt, chaos, and confusion? Truth involves being honest about who God is, who we are, and who we are in relationship with God. Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego adhere to truth when they refuse to worship something as God that is not God (Daniel 3:18). We, too, can find truth in this manner. We stray from the truth when we hold up something as God in our lives that is not God. Truth also involves being honest with ourselves. Do we take time to reflect on our lives to see our true strengths and weaknesses? We want to know our true selves. Doing so is foundational in our relationships with God. Jesus, who identifies himself as “the truth” (John 14:6), reveals to us the Truth of who God is, challenges us to be honest about our true selves, and is the one who invites us into a relationship with God that is based on truth.
Lent is a great opportunity to take stock of our lives. Our period of social isolation may create an even greater space for personal reflection. What do I make as a god in my life? Am I living up to my true call as a child of God? Am I making good choices that are leading me in the direction that I want to go? What steps can I take to deepen my relationship with God? Honest reflection on these questions can lead to many spiritual benefits during our Lenten journey. The truth will set us free.
Dr. John Kruse
Professor of Theology
Neumann University
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