The truth will set you free
Plato repeated the ancient Delphic maxim which was inscribed in the pronaos of the Temple of Delphi, “Know thyself.” Throughout the centuries this sage advice is uttered in different forms over and over again. In the Christian Bible , the Gospel according to John in 8:31-32, Jesus is alleged to have said to the Jews who believed him, “if you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
On Wednesday evening, January 15 the Ohio Valley Ministerial Alliance hosted a community church service to honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Reverend James Agnew used this text from the gospel according to John as the basis of his reflections on the life and ministry of Dr. King.
I was just talking to a client who is in the early stages of recovery from active drug addiction and attending 12-step meetings where he hears that we access our strength by allowing ourselves to be vulnerable or we gain power by admitting our powerlessness. Obviously, in allowing oneself to be seen as the vulnerable human that one is can be, for some, a frightening experience. Much of addictive behavior is running from knowing ourselves; hiding the truth about ourselves.
As many of us stop to celebrate the life and work of Dr. King, we may ponder the truths about ourselves. Some of those truths for me are:
As the character Bigger Thomas in Richard Wright’s novel Native Son says “You can’t do nuthin but kill me and that ain’t nuthin.” As I age and attend funerals for dear friends of all ages I am reminded that it is indeed the quality and not the quantity of days which counts.
Thanks to all those who are brave enough to wear these truths.
Written January 17, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
Plato repeated the ancient Delphic maxim which was inscribed in the pronaos of the Temple of Delphi, “Know thyself.” Throughout the centuries this sage advice is uttered in different forms over and over again. In the Christian Bible , the Gospel according to John in 8:31-32, Jesus is alleged to have said to the Jews who believed him, “if you abide in my word, you are truly my disciples, and you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”
On Wednesday evening, January 15 the Ohio Valley Ministerial Alliance hosted a community church service to honor the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. The Reverend James Agnew used this text from the gospel according to John as the basis of his reflections on the life and ministry of Dr. King.
I was just talking to a client who is in the early stages of recovery from active drug addiction and attending 12-step meetings where he hears that we access our strength by allowing ourselves to be vulnerable or we gain power by admitting our powerlessness. Obviously, in allowing oneself to be seen as the vulnerable human that one is can be, for some, a frightening experience. Much of addictive behavior is running from knowing ourselves; hiding the truth about ourselves.
As many of us stop to celebrate the life and work of Dr. King, we may ponder the truths about ourselves. Some of those truths for me are:
- We are all perfect in our imperfections (Louise Hay).
- We are all deserving of Grace – unconditional love.
- We are all deserving of nutritious food, decent housing, loving people in our circle of “we”, and basic health care.
- Violence does not have any long-term positive benefits.
- Non-violence is much more powerful than violence.
- We have a right and an obligation to stand tall and proud – not taller and prouder than others but equal.
- We adults need young people and young people need we adults.
- We humans come in various hues or shades of skin pigment, are tall, short, abled, differently abled, male, female, in transition, gay, straight, bisexual, asexual, varying ages, attempt to fit ourselves into various religious and cultural boxes, have various experiences of reality and are all equally worthy of love or none of us are.
- The God of my understanding is not an overly sensitive teenage who is worried about the name or framework to which we assign him/her/it.
- We can overcome oppression.
As the character Bigger Thomas in Richard Wright’s novel Native Son says “You can’t do nuthin but kill me and that ain’t nuthin.” As I age and attend funerals for dear friends of all ages I am reminded that it is indeed the quality and not the quantity of days which counts.
Thanks to all those who are brave enough to wear these truths.
Written January 17, 2020
Jimmy F Pickett
coachpickett.org
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