By Zoe Cannon
Gratitude for the Gift of Faith
“Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who are truthful are His delight” (Proverbs 12:22).
There are issues people feel uncomfortable talking about for fear of offending someone. Two words come to mind: sinning and, specifically, lying. There is one truth about lying, it destroys unity and peace! The loss of faithfulness to the supernatural order has forced countless people to endure injustice. There are factual accounts of this destruction in salvation history and world history. We’ve read about it and witnessed it in this lifetime. It makes me wonder what is blinding people from the truth.
In the Book of Genesis, we read about tranquility of order being disrupted by what John the Evangelist called, the “father of lies.” Since the beginning of time, a misleading ideology and deceiving power have failed to protect entire communities from lies, exploitation and murder. There are consequences when nations willfully disregard truth with an ungodly agenda.
We have many sources of information, but that doesn’t mean what we discover is factual. God gave us free will to discern the difference between good and evil. Authentic, absolute truth is readily available in Sacred Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church. We are never finished learning, and knowledge is essential when seeking truth! The challenge is knowing how to share the truth you find in a confused society.
The word typology is the relationship of Old Testament prophecies fulfilled in the New Testament. These revelations affirm God’s plan for Creation, his patience and his mercy for mankind. There are accounts in Scripture of man’s failure to serve God, and the costs have been catastrophic. Don’t let the confusion between truth and untruth prevent God’s peace in your life. If you are confused about what offends God, read the Ten Commandments given to Moses. Join a bible study and learn about the warnings from the prophets and disciples of Jesus. A community of believers enhances our faith with like-minded fellowship where grace is poured out.
Two to three hundred years before Christ, there lived a community in Qumran about 20 miles from Jerusalem on the shore of the Dead Sea. This mysterious community called themselves Yahad which means community. The Essenes were very educated and formed their group during the time of corruption with the chief priests. They wanted to distance themselves in a place where they could study the scriptures. They copied the inspired books we call the Old Testament and books of spiritual wisdom. These Holy Spirit inspired writings, known as the Dead Sea Scrolls, were discovered between 1947 and 1956. The 972 manuscripts in 53 different excavated caves were preserved for 2,000 years. These treasures give undeniable credibility to the Bible … the Word of God … TRUTH!
The distortion of reality in our society is proof that the fork-tongued “father of lies” continues to prowl about the world. The Bible gives us 40 Holy Spirit inspired authors, all with one central theme that points to Christ. I tell people to keep soldiering for Christ because the battle between good and evil is real. God is counting on an army of believers to deliver truth. I often wonder if people realize what a great opportunity it is to serve God at this time in salvation history. Be truthful, and distance yourself from lies. … You will do well to pay attention! Amen!