the Modern Crisis of truth
There is a lot of talk in newspapers and among leaders about the problems that face humanity. There are concerns about the environment, about poverty, war, hunger, disease and many others. Though these are all pressing and immediate problems, I believe there is a greater problem that lies at the root of all these problems. There is a moral crisis in the hearts and minds of the people of the world that can be traced back to a crisis of truth. The question Pilate puts to Jesus towards the end of His earthly life is a very modern question: What is truth? Do you have an answer to this question?
The tendency in modern society is to allow each individual to determine what is true for him or her. This may sound okay but it is actually the root of Original Sin – Adam and Eve chose not to be determined by the truth of God, and sought to become arbiters of the truth in their own right. The secularist agenda of today’s modern democracies is often based on the desire to put aside any absolute understanding of truth that is based on faith and to reform the understanding of the human person according to a non-biased philosophy of humanity. There is no such thing as the selfsubsisting human person. We are reliant upon God for our existence for without Him we would not be at all.
It is this truth that is behind Pope Benedict’s criticism of the European Union’s Charter. They have forgotten that the European civilization is built upon a Christian understanding of the human person. If they will not recognize this they are living a lie and any reforms they try to make will ultimately cause the disintegration of that society. Let us embrace the truth of who we are. The truth liberates us from the lies of sin. Truth leads us to the fulfillment of the human person. Truth has power based on the character of God, Jesus who once said, “I am the way, the truth and the life” (John 14:6). Listen to Him and heed His words. Fr. Steve Tynan
Reflection Questions:
What place does truth play in my life? Do I have an absolute respect for truth? If not, how can I grow in this aspect of my life?
Father, You sent us Jesus to reveal to us the truth of His love. Help me to listen to His revelation and follow the path He sets before me.
St. Collette, virgin, pray for us.
