I can say this because my belief is not based on my emotions, it’s based on the truth. I’ve explained my reasons for this belief in detail before. But this whole idea of a battle for the truth has got me thinking. Part of our human nature is our survival instinct. And I know that for this reason many of us avoid conflict when at all possible. I know this because I am one of those people. If I can avoid a confrontation that I know will open up the possibility for me to find myself in conflict with other people than I usually do.
Most of us aren’t willing to put ourselves in harms way, so to speak, for what we believe. Our physical well-being usually comes before our beliefs or even the common good. If it comes down to me or that guy, I’m going to do all I can to be the last man standing. But can I say the same thing when it comes to standing up for the truth?
Our fairy tales are filled with heroic figures who stood up for truth, who fought seemingly impossible battles, who didn’t let the fear of impending doom stop them for standing up for what they believed in. I’m not saying we should declare a holy war, but we should be willing to find the courage to stand up for the truth even when it hurts, even if it kills us.
That Guy’s Got Guts
Yesterday we celebrated the Memorial of the Passion of St. John the Baptist. This guy was a man of faith. Not only did he talk the talk, but he walked the walk. In fact, it was his bold proclamation of the faith, of the truth, that got him in trouble.
You know the story. If not, here it is in a nutshell:
John is the only one who has the guts to tell the king that his adulterous lifestyle is sinful. Of course, the king and his “wife” didn’t like being challenged so they threw him in jail. Even in jail John doesn’t back down. He continues to proclaim the truth and challenge the king to change his ways. Herod sees that there is truth to what John is saying and is “perplexed” by it, but fails to act on his feelings. Eventually, the queen gets an opportunity to get back at the prophet and has him executed.
John the Baptists only crime was speaking the truth. Everybody knew it deep down, but he was the only one who spoke out about it. He stood up for the truth knowing that the consequences were serious. Some might say he was crazy for doing so, in fact he really lost his head (Mk 6:27).
Even When the Truth Hurts
It’s clear that marriage is being redefined slowly but surely. As I said earlier, I disagree with it. To me there is no such thing as “gay marriage”. You can’t call an apple an orange. It’s just not the truth. It’s not my desire to offend anyone. You can’t compare a same-sex relationship—no matter how loving it might be—to a marriage. That offends me. Calling that a marriage demeans my marriage. It’s not an emotional argument it’s just simple, objective truth.
Unfortunately, our society is not willing to accept the truth that I would suggest many people know deep down inside. Why? Because we lack courage. This is one of the things I love about the Catholic Church. She teaches the truth, even when it’s difficult to hear, even when it’s not popular, even when it goes against what society would have us believe. That takes John the Baptist kinds of guts.
“Being a Christian in our times, means to go against the current of the majority.”
~ Luis Alfredo Díaz
As Christians we have to have courage. We’ve got to go against the grain of our culture. Jesus said He came to bring the sword (Mt 10:34). The Gospel is counter-cultural. That’s why the Church isn’t going to back down even when bullied the masses. Even when the Church is the only thing willing to stand up and speak the truth in a world that is coming to accept so many lies. The truth is worth fighting for. We may not have to give our lives to defend it as St. John the Baptist did, but I wouldn’t be so sure. The way society is leaning right now I wouldn’t be surprised if it eventually comes to that.
The Sea of Galilee flows out into the River Jordan bringing life to the arid desert. Eventually, the river reaches it’s end as it flows into the Dead Sea, a place where devoid of life. We can’t be content to just go with the flow. Just because everybody else is saying or doing it, doesn’t mean we should to. If submitting to a false truth to avoid confrontation and blend in, leads us to death, then is it really worth it?
How important is the truth to you? And how much are you willing to give to defend it?