John 17:11-19
‘Consecrate them in the truth;
your word is truth.
As you sent me into the world,
I have sent them into the world,
and for their sake I consecrate myself
so that they too may be consecrated in truth.’
In recent weeks as the various scandals have unfolded in our country I have thought a good deal about truth and what it might mean to speak the truth. Time after time we have listened to terms being defined and redefined. Getting some someone to admit that they broke a rule can take months.
The truth that Jesus speaks of has resonances for me of uprightness, faithfulness and integrity. It’s not a question of actions and attitudes that will keep you on the right side of the law, but rather it is a question of relationship. Jesus’ desire for us to be consecrated in the truth sets us apart and marks us as chosen to be in relationship with him. This relationship moulds and shapes us to become Christ-like.
There’s a line in the old translation of Lent Preface 1 that comes to mind:
As we recall the great events
that gave us new life in Christ,
you bring the image of your Son to perfection within us.
This is God’s work if we will allow it.
How is Christ calling you to deepen your relationship with him?