Expose

" And this is the verdict, that the light came into the world, but people preferred darkness to light, because their works were evil. For everyone who does evil things hates the light and does not come toward the light, so that his works might be exposed. But whoever lives the Truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God." - [John 3: 19-21].


There is a popular "New Age" phrase that says, "Speak your Truth to the Power."

At first, I was puzzled at what that meant? It felt like this rather vague phrase came out of nowhere. It did not seem to refer to any specific religion or belief system. It spoke of Truth, but WHAT Truth? Where can I find this Truth ?

When I read this passage from the Gospel of John, I see the doctrinal underpinnings of shining the light on evil, and speaking the Truth. It comes from the Bible! But can I even utter that today?

We have become so prickly about what we say, that in some cases, I cannot even say, "Love and Light", in a wholly secular way, without someone being threatened by my religious beliefs. Even this watered-down version of John 3:19-21 - "Love and Light" - is anathema to many.

And so, today we have a "watered-down" version of the Truth. We have anyone and everyone claiming that they are the only ones who know the Truth. Truth has become squishy and relative.

We utter, "Judge not, lest ye be judged", even if we know nothing else in the Bible.

But "Judge not" means : ' Take not the sum of a man's Life; and despatch not- - as merely another frail human being- - a man to either Heaven or Hell."  "Judge not" does not mean, "All moral choices here on Earth are relative."

I love the beginning of The Gospel of John: "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. . . Through Him all things were made. . In Him was Life, and that Life was the Light of humankind. The Light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not extinguished it." -[John 1: 1-4].

This Word IS God, and it Is His Son. And the Word is God's organizing principle of the Universe, which is Love. As 1 John 4: 7-8 explains, " Beloved, let us love one another, because Love comes from God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God IS Love."

And the Word is contained in the Ten Commandments, not to kill, lie, cheat, steal, covet, and so forth.
And the Word is summed up in Jesus' first Commandment to us, "To love one another as oneself."

When I speak Truth, I speak the power of Love. I tell my son, "If it isn't Love, it isn't the Truth."

I lived in a household growing up, where all the materialism, the greed, the hatred, the jealousy, the abuse, the bitterness, the entitlement, the despair, the violence, the drunkenness, were hidden behind closed doors. If anyone had known what was going on behind those closed doors, I would have been taken away from my family.

My parents threatened me, "What goes on behind these four walls, stays behind these four walls." As a young child, I had to weigh if my punishment would be greater by remaining silent and enduring the toxic environment, OR by speaking up and risking more punishment, if my family found out I had told?

My family took my childhood attempts at Christianity as a rebuke of their own toxic behavior. I was not allowed to go to church past the age of 13, not allowed to read a Bible or wear a cross.

Lies proliferated: I was told, "You are ugly. You cry uselessly, you are too sensitive. Pick yourself up, you are not hurt. I will  to feed you. You are a failure."

Shining the Light on Evil is not a nicety, or a "movement", or a phrase for a plaque or a bumper sticker or a needlepoint pillow. Shining the Light on Evil is an act of survival. It is more than a protest, it is an act of rescuing others.

In our History, I see those who dared to speak up and call Slavery what it is - Evil. I see those who dared to work for women's right to vote, because yes, women ARE born with a brain.

I welcome the #MeToo Movement for shining a Light on predatory behavior.

There are those who will fight against the Truth, because they hate that a Light will expose their Evil.

We need all the voices and all the Love that we can get. I wish we could stop arguing over nomenclature, stop being so intimidated over Scripture, and agree on one thing: The Truth of Love is timeless. The Truth of Love is NOW.

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