TRUTH . . . LIGHTS UP

Truth is really not a matter of information but of revelation. Truth needs to be seen. Information may be true and a forerunner, but it is not necessarily The Truth.

Imagine this scene. A friendly infants' school teacher leaned over my desk to help me with a problem. I was usually at the bottom of the class for arithmetic, or 'sums' as we called the subject way back then. In that pre-computer age we worked with a little abacus and I can remember the lady teacher moving the beads along . . . two and two . . . three and one . . . two and one and one. Each time different combinations added up to the same total and I was well confused. Eventually, after much patience and perseverance on her part, the light dawned and I was really excited. 'Oh . . . I see', I said with obvious joy. The penny had dropped.

Actually I had 'understood', but that would not have adequately described what had happened inside me. There had been an inner illumination and what I had seen I would never unsee. I can still add well. That small incident made a lasting impression upon me.

Jesus asked Peter, 'Who do you say that I am?'. Peter appeared to answer with a statement of fact, looking just at the face value of his reply: 'You-are-the-Christ-the-son-of-the-living-God'. Full marks for correctness maybe, but that information leaves one feeling unsatisfied. It does not warrant the importance Jesus placed on his reply when he said that this truth had been revealed by his Father and as a result of this enlightenment great things would happen through Peter.

Peter didn't know the answer until it was revealed to him. Then he was able to say, 'You
. . . You . . . You really are the Christ . . . You really are The Son of The Living God!' That's it! The light had dawned on him. He had reveal-ation. Now everything would be different. Power was ignited when he was illuminated within, when he had the Light of Life. This encounter would enable Peter to cope with all his future trials, both his failures and his successes. The inner truth would have a firm grip on him.

If we take note of all the information and every injunction we read or hear, regardless of whether it lights up within us or not, then we shall be heading for trouble. We shall struggle to attain without any inner dynamic to enable us. We too need the Light of Life.

//Continued