John 16:12-15
When the Spirit of truth comes he will lead you to the complete truth…
When I was at Primary school I remember listening to the teacher as she sorted out a playground fight. Two 7 yr old boys were standing at the front of the class, eyes fixed on the the floor. ‘Now, who is going to be the first to tell me the complete truth?’ the teacher said. We knew what this meant. This was not to be the slightly ‘fuzzy’ truth quickly concocted to avoid punishment. What the teacher wanted was an account of events with no interpretations or excuses added. I remember a sense of relief when one boy was finally brave enough to answer.
Week after week our news is filled with situations that call for the ‘complete truth’. It’s becoming quite rare to find this. I think a part of me has even stopped expecting it. There are now elaborate rituals that must be gone through before the public can find out what really happened.
When Jesus tells us that the Spirit will lead us to the complete truth we know that this has a personal and communal dimension. Following Christ calls us to truth and integrity in all aspects of our lives. It can take courage to act from that place of inner truth. Sometimes others can model this for us and this gives us courage.
Who are the truth tellers in your life?