Thursday of the Second Week of Easter

Lectionary: 270

The one who comes from above is above all.
The one who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of earthly things.
But the one who comes from heaven is above all.
He testifies to what he has seen and heard,
but no one accepts his testimony.
Whoever does accept his testimony certifies that God is trustworthy.


If I were standing before a hostile crowd or a suspicious judge and had to declare what I believe to be true, and if only one person -- let's say a former opponent -- were to come and stand by my side and vouch for me, declaring that I am indeed an honest person and my word is trustworthy -- you can bet I'd think very highly of my new friend. 

So we can suppose God is pleased with you and me when we "certify that God is trustworthy!" We believe the Lord Jesus has come from above and is above all! We testify to what we have seen and heard. Our testimony includes what the apostles first declared so many centuries ago, that he was crucified and raised up and revealed to us as the Son of God. Our testimony also speaks of the Holy Spirit which has stood by us, directing, reassuring, strengthening, healing, and affirming us. If we meet skepticism, disagreement, or open hostility, we cannot alter what we have seen and heard, for we stand by the One who sent us. 

In today's world, those who speak of earthly things, like to call these things facts. If you've been reading this blog you know I have an issue with facts. I've done a word search of my Daily Homilies and found thirteen harangues on the topic. I'm like a dog with a rag on this issue, constantly tearing at it. But if you're not weary of my expansions on the topic, bear with me because I want to say (again) that facts are things of earth. 
They are not things of heaven; they do not have eternal life. 

For instance, I recall a story out of Africa when well-meaning American farmers gave tractors to their African counterparts. "Tractors are like elephants," they explained, "but fed with gasoline." And then, when their funding and their time ran out, they left. Within a few weeks the mechanical elephants, thirsting for oil, broke down, died, and rusted in the fields. Without the context of the entire American economy, including its agricultural schools and mechanical know how, tractors are useless behemoths. 

My point being, facts must have their context. The African farmers' context is a long way from that of their American supporters. And context of fact, science, and technology is this world; they know nothing of Truth, who comes from above. 

Secondly, as we realize that we live in the Anthropocene Era, we discover that we are the creators of this world. Fashioned by our beliefs, hopes, fears, greed, ambition, and aspirations, this world can hardly bear the Presence of One from Above. Facing environmental catastrophe, we cannot expect "God" to save us from the world we have created. If the coronavirus were not warning enough, hurricanes and forest fires should tell us something. There is no "nature" that exists apart from us. Nor was it ever immune to our scientific inquiries and technological advances. We have been recreating our world since the first hominids fashioned hand axes of stone. 

Finally, we speak of Truth, not facts. Truth exists between honest individuals who carry no hidden agendas of superiority or rank. Truth is revealed by the God who speaks his Word and gives us the Spirit to receive it. Honest individuals certainly use facts in their conversations, but they never use them to deceive. An honest husband will not tell his wife he is running down to the store to buy a quart of milk (a true fact) when his real intention is to buy a pint of alcohol. Nor will his wife use hard facts to hurt him. When they speak the truth to one another, they think first of all of their covenanted love, and then of how to speak honestly and clearly so as to ensure their deeper love. If they must speak painful truth to one another -- as every couple must on occasion -- it is not to harm but to heal. 
When parents speak hard truths to a child they find words that the child can understand. They do not confuse them with information that no child could assimilate.   

When we speak the Truth of Jesus the Spirit of God testifies with us. This Anthropocene world cannot understand what we say, but we speak of what we know and we testify to what we have seen, for whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life,