THE WORD IN OUR “POST-TRUTH” WORLD
(January 29)
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him nothing was made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it.” (Jn 1: 1-5)
In our “post-truth” time, certain systems that are in the business of “the word” often break down, – like journalism, politics, and even our social media connections, when we “ghost” one another. But Christianity still proclaims the eternal centrality and power of the Word. Why? Because in Christianity, the power and validity of the Word is embodied not in any merely-human idea or ideology, but in a human-divine Person, – the Truth incarnate, our Lord Jesus Christ.
In His grace, I need not hesitate to speak a truthful word, nor mistrust its power, regardless of my own shortcomings. I need to speak, by the gift with which He endowed me ever since “all things were made,” and not be silenced by the dumbness of post-truth meaninglessness. I can, and I must, in Christ, speak a truthful word, because silence is so often damaging to my relationships, both with God and my loved ones. Christ says to me, as He said to the deaf-mute, “Ephphatha! (which means ‘Be opened!’)” (Mk 7: 34), because in Him, our word is “the light that shines in the darkness” of our oft-damaging silences. So let me speak today, to God and others I love, because His word overcomes the darkness of our self-isolated silences. Glory be to Him.
