And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 8:32
This is one of the well-known statements reported as words spoken by Jesus. This has perplexed me in my life as I couldn’t figure out how I could come to know “the truth.” The line that proceeds this quote says “If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed” and “ye shall know the Truth…” What does it mean to continue in His word?
Jesus’ invitation was to love. Love Him, love the Father, love one another. When one continues in the way of love one knows the truth and the freedom it provides.
When we are surrounded by superstitions, beliefs without knowledge, or information disconnected from the facts, we can get confused about what is true. Often a superstition stays around because it is repeated so often. “See a penny, pick it up, all day long you’ll have good luck.” I remember being excited when I found one. I’m probably one of the few people left who stops to pick up a penny! To be more specific the penny had to be face up.
That seems like a silly one. There is a long list of familiar superstitions: avoid black cats as they are bad luck, don’t walk under a ladder, if you break a mirror you’ll have bad luck for seven years, four leaf clovers are lucky, wearing lucky clothing (socks, hats, shirts underwear), and there’s a pot of gold at the end of a rainbow. Some of them are more serious. If you catch a chill by going outside with wet hair, you’ll get sick; you’ll ruin your eyes if you sit too close to the TV; and an apple a day keeps the doctor away.
More serious superstitions come into play when people with power and the capacity to spread the word take advantage of others who are vulnerable. “Trust me, this will be good for you,” and “I will take care of you.” Or, “Don’t trust them, they are bad people.” The more these are repeated the more they seem true.
In the Catholic church where I grew up, some prayers were said multiple times a day that influenced the yielded heart. “Oh Lord, I am not worthy” and “pray for us sinners.” I was raised by parents who were devoted to the church—they never questioned these things. It seemed inappropriate to even ask, Why am I a sinner and unworthy? Says who? The power of superstition grows because it is not challenged by a loving mind.
As a girl, I learned of a supposed promise made by God during a visitation to Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1688 where she received this message. It was shared with me and I tried really hard to accomplish the task.
I promise you in the excessive mercy of My Heart that Its all-powerful love will grant to all those who receive Holy Communion on nine first Fridays of consecutive months the grace of final repentance; they will not die under My displeasure or without receiving their sacraments, My divine Heart making Itself their assured refuge at the last moment.
Did anyone ever ask, do they have calendars in heaven? And who’s counting?
The experience of oneness with a loving God seemed so inconceivable. Some prayers were confirming my fallen state and other prayers were promising if I just did things right I could be lucky enough to be loved or saved. No one was pointing to a loving God. No one said, “You are loved” or asked, “Are you breathing? Is your heart beating?” You are loved. Know that! Feel that. From that place listen and you will know the Truth.
First, you may feel ignorant or foolish because you don’t know and it appears others do: and second, you don’t want to look ignorant by inquiring. In the story The Emperor’s New Clothes con artists offer to supply the emperor with magnificent clothes that are supposedly invisible to those who are incompetent or stupid. The gullible emperor hires them, and they set up looms and pretend to go to work. A succession of officials, starting with the emperor’s wise and competent minister, and then ending with the emperor himself, visit them to check their progress. Each sees that the looms are empty but pretends otherwise to avoid being thought of as a fool. They believed the story. Nobody but an innocent child was willing to speak the truth and say he was naked.
Our world has changed a lot with electronic media and the Internet being able to influence people’s beliefs. There are people anxious to be “influencers.” They establish an audience and are financially supported because of their power. We need to develop a strong sense of knowing the truth to be able to navigate this world.
What do you “know” of a person’s character? What do you “know” about how life works? What and who do you trust to hold a line of integrity and strength with you?
If we continue in the invitation to love and to know each other, the truth will set us free. We will not be fooled or buy into beliefs without knowledge.
We start our lives as children influenced by our family, our school, and our community. We are like sponges. All those who care for us represent authority and usually have our best interests at heart. And they too have been influenced by the superstitions and manipulations of the world. As we grow up we can ask the “loving” questions like, “Sez who? Is that true? How do you know?” We may also just center ourselves in the highest love we know and check within, “Does that ring true?”
I am not suggesting we wander through our lives questioning everything. Life has a way of bringing to us things as needed. But I recommend love first, then ponder. Ignorance is not the answer or a good excuse for perpetuating superstition or disconnection.
We are designed to love one another. And when we do we become wiser and stronger. When we love the source of our Being we increasingly know the Truth of that love. As we love one another we know each other and have the great opportunity to let the Truth set us free.
If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.
John 8:31-32
Continue in His word. Love one another.
Thank you Jane, for your offering on something I have been reflecting on this last while.
I recently read a poem by some well-known, but obscure poet (contemporary) that posed “consider how things would’ve turned out IF (in the story/myth) Adam had ‘eaten the ‘apple’ first, instead of Eve”. A very common sentiment, to be sure, about the nature of gender – our own, in particular. The poem posits that Adam would have been hailed a hero, been treated royally and had festivals and celebrations held in his honour. Instead, ‘Eve’ gets the blame for how things have gone, ever since.
I thought … “does it really matter WHO it was? … the ‘deed’ was done and we have been living with the consequences ever since! Apparently in the story/myth, our ‘eyes’ were opened and we supposedly know ourselves as gods – having knowledge over all things.
The kind of ‘knowing’ you refer to is not the concept most have grown up with. How do we then, come to “know the truth that sets us free”? As you point out, what comes before the quote is … “if you continue in my Word, then you are my disciples in deed, and you shall know the truth and the Truth shall make you free”. Our ‘doing’ reflects who we are and what/whom we serve. Good place to start!
Again, Thank you!
The truth is about what we know, inherently. All the rest is a lie, is fantasy, is superstition. However, we have become so detached from ourselves, from what is real, full of the fakery we have ingested, like sugar and dope, that we have believed the lies and believed them to be real. This is true ignorance.
My heart is with the American Elections this week as citizens cast their votes. May providence reign.
Thankyou Jane
Today I sent a rescue pony home as my 2 larger horses weren’t suitable paddock companions and I had to restrict her calories so she didn’t develop laminitis and then I had to move the horses past the pony morning and night to manage each ones needs. Luckily for me I have renewed an acquaintance with a very wise barefoot triiming farrier friend who I bounced the idea of that the pony needed to be returned as she ended up avoiding me and couldn’t be caught for the farrier. My friend confirmed the pony needed to be returned and today she was collected and a video clip was sent of her happy again with her Welsh Mountain sistere and I was so glad to see her out with them again. I think that says something of the power of love between all involved in giving her the best life possible. Indeed the superstitions of the world are ridiculous and God is practical in what we do
Out of this pulse I’ve ben inspired to renew my knowing of magic, which has commonly been seen as tricks and illusion. In reality for me, Life is magic. Laurence
Magic
Do you recall the sacred beauty of a sunrise?
The orange orb appears to clothe vast open sky,
And to hear the bird song chorus of the morning,
Then to bask in the high noon of bright daylight
The calming waves of the mighty ocean,
Evoke an inner stillness afternoon,
Then when all around reveals a sudden whirlwind,
We soothe our fear and weary with the moon.
The miracle of the moment is our nature,
Our bodies sanctified, minds open wide,
We sing the song unsung in joyful harmony,
As a kaleidoscope of colour fills our eyes
True magic isn’t born of superstition,
Of lazy belief, or going with the crowd,
It’s the Oneness smile of an adoring baby,
A golden gift, the Temple that is now
Behold the fragrant flowers of the Garden,
The aroma scent, the essence of today,
The choral symphony, the deep dark forest,
Holding hands along the esplanade
Can you taste the tincture of pure heaven,
And see the victory here within our hands,
Upon the rock of being we abide in sure foundation,
The unseen a revelation as we stand
True magic isn’t born of superstition,
It’s a welling up, a passion known inside,
A pulsing heart so full to overflowing,
A Life purpose destiny of Love aligned.
Thank you, Jane, I too loved reading this week’s Pulse of Spirit.
That feeling of ‘free’ when I know the truth, is absolute and clear. Who doesn’t want more of that ?
With so many ‘superstitions’ abound – as well as in dreamy and subconscious states all over, I want to go beyond current experiences, wake up and remember that you and I are becoming more of who we truly are, and therefore meeting as whole persons anew.
Surely, this is the biggest adventure we are on in these days ?
This way, entering and discovering what ‘rings true’ – brings meaning, harmony, peace and right belonging back into our worlds in which we are designed to be ONE.
I love the Source of our Being that allows us to increasingly know the Truth of that Love.
Hello Jane !
Thank you for sharing this.
For me its a confirmation of i was just meditating on when i woke and came to this place.. I believe there are no random coincidences in my life.
You have summed it so beautifully!
You are loved. Know that. Feel that.
Like Jimmy Cliff sang:
He who feels it knows it.!
When you feel it you know and you know that you know the Truth and that you are free at last .
Once again,
Thank you!
“We are designed to love one another.”
I can’t think of anything to add to that truth. Thank you, Jane!
Thanks, Jane, for identifying in such a colorful way some of the superstitions to which human beings are prone. Perhaps the greatest superstition of all is that life comes by death. And the current U.S. election is riddled with superstition.
Let us put an end to superstition in our own consciousness by simply expressing the truth of who we are, thereby inviting the world to do the same.
Jan, yes!!! Continue in His word. Love one another.
You mentioned the superstition of ‘black cats’. When I was 12 we moved from a rural area in Delaware – to California. My parents took our parent cats and their newborn babies to what they always swore to me was a ‘No Kill’ shelter. I said, but the Momma and all the babies were black cats – would they find homes and be protected. We Held those parent cats and all the babies in our hearts so that they would be in Surround and loved. I never felt that my parents were ‘religious’, not like the things I saw and heard in the world – but they always believed in the power of love and caring. What a lucky girl I am to have their ‘model’ of belief and behavior.