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The Truth Will Set You Free

        To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31-32)

          I can’t quite claim that this passage is “nonmagical.” It is, but I think a better description is that it’s universal and basic. If we hold to anyone’s teachings, we are their disciples because that’s what a disciple is: a person who follows teachings. If you follow the teachings of Christ,  you’re a disciple of Christ. If you follow the teaching of the Buddha, or Mohammed, Bart Simpson, or either Dr. or Mr. Spock,  you are their disciples. If you try to follow the teachings of more than one teacher, unless their teachings are identical, you aren’t a disciple of either.

          The other part that isn’t magical is that the truth will set you free. This is what every legitimate teacher, and every illegitimate teacher, offers. And truth does set you free if what you’re seeking freedom from is lies. If you’re seeking freedom from truth or the things that accompany truth (responsibility, hard work, disillusionment, etc.) the truth won’t help. This includes if you’ve decided you have a right to dictate what truth must be.

          This is a difficult issue, claiming the right to dictate what the truth must be looks like discerning what the truth is. Both can produce bullheadedness.  Pray for wisdom, that your bullheadedness is a determination to find the truth, not to reject it. Because the alternative is like being caught in a giant spider web.

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