+ “A false heart” — what could be sadder than that, to have a false heart? And what would make it false?
Merriam Webster gives several descriptive meanings to the word false: “Not genuine”; “intentionally untrue”; ‘adjusted or made so as to deceive”; “intending or tending to mislead.”
Merriam goes on, but I think we have enough. To intentionally deceive is clearly treacherous.
But what if a person experienced, or promoted something false without knowing or understanding that it is/was false? Would it be any less false?
Perhaps that is worse; that is, to experience or promote something untrue that deceives and never even knowing that was the case.
Imagine, for example, eating something poisonous while thinking or believing that it was not just healthy, but extremely healthy. And the truth is that this poisonous thing would actually kill you while you thought — falsely — that it would make you more healthy.
Sad!
+ How right that God — indeed, the whole universe — would be saddened, maddened, and punishment would follow from the truth!
Truth has a way of unveiling itself; and as the saying goes, brings on its own consequences — eat the poisonous food and the consequences follow.
Did God do it to you? Or did you do it to yourself?
+ Into this historical reality God sent the Christ into humanity, in the person of Jesus who so perfectly expressed the truth in the word made flesh. He spoke truth. He lived truth. He gave truth. He calls us to truth.
And he called the twelve disciples and made them into true apostles.
He even gave them power to lead others to God not falsely, but truthfully.
Truth-full-ly!
+ Now the fullest truth. Aren’t we all called in baptism to be disciples? And aren’t we all sent to be apostles, or rather, to be apostolic.
Definition of apostle: “one who is sent.”
Father Perry D. Leiker is the 14th pastor of St. Bernard Catholic Church. Reach him at (323) 255-6142. Email Father Perry at perry.leiker@gmail.com. Follow Father Perry on Twitter: @MrDeano76.
