Jesus said, “know the truth, and the truth will set you free.” (John 8:31)

Free of what?

Pain, loneliness, lack? Or, freedom from responsibility toward family and society? Big difference and I believe Jesus meant freedom from pain loneliness, and lack.

Truth sets us in the way of being responsible to family and society. To God.

Once that question was out of the way, I wondered, what exactly is truth?

I’ve noticed that my truth is not truth for others. It’s true that I grew up in a supportive family, but a supportive family wasn’t true for the children I fostered when I was older.

I’ve also noticed that human insight isn’t truth. For example, when reading spiritual texts, I may feel touched by a moment of profound insight, yet still not feel free of fears.

There is also the insight of correction, that poses as truth. Most of us have learned something in life that we need to unlearn and correct, however, the correction isn’t truth.

I grew up attending the Christian Science Sunday school and was taught that Christian Scientists radically rely on prayer for healing. When I was older, I researched the origin of this teaching and found it was an unwritten rule, and a wrong one at that.

The unwritten rule was opposed by Mary Baker Eddy, a teacher of Christian Science, in her writings, Science and Health. She wrote, “Only through radical reliance on Truth can scientific healing power be realized.” Reliance on Truth, not prayer, was her maxim. This correction was so enlightening and freeing for my human mind, that I temporarily mistook it for truth, but it wasn’t truth, only human insight, glad as I was for it. Therefore, I’m back on track seeking and manifesting Truth of Love, one Mind.

Truth appears abstract, but even Pilate glimpsed guiltless truth in Christ Jesus. At the cross, “Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” ³⁸ Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. ³⁹ But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” ⁴⁰ They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.  (John 18, ESV)

A power of goodness embraces us all and this truth allows us to share it forth, to participate in truth.