In today’s Gospel, Jesus said that, if you are truly his disciple, you will know the truth and the truth will set you free. This week’s Time Magazine cover used bold red letters to ask IS TRUTH DEAD? My Facebook feed has provided me with a striking photo of Flannery O’Connor with her statement that “The truth does not change according to our ability to stomach it.”
Our effort to determine truth and act accordingly is an enduring struggle. We navigate between the cynicism of believing that everything is a charade and the lure of superficial certainty. I believe that Jesus invites us into inquiry.
What do we believe to be true and why? How might we be protecting ourselves from uncomfortable truths? The way that truth sets us free is that it removes false comfort while at the same time allowing us to see possibility and hope.
—Bren Ortega Murphy, PhD is a faculty member in Communications Studies at Loyola University Chicago. She holds a joint appointment in Loyola’s Women’s Studies program.