Words of Truth

I have always assumed that the purpose of language was as a vehicle, a means, for communicating, one person to another. As I was reading Psalm 11 this morning, I turned to a worthy commentator on the Psalms - Fr. Patrick Reardon - in order to get further insight. I don't think I will ever think of speech and words in quite the same way again.

"The idea is now common that the primary purpose of speech is communication, the sharing of ideas, impressions, and feelings with one another. Language is currently considered to be, first of all, social and therefore completely subject to social control. Human speech is widely interpreted as a matter of arbitrary and accepted fashion, subject to the same vagaries as any other fashion. Thus, the senses of words can be changed at will, different meanings being imposed by the same sorts of forces that determine whatever other tastes happen to be in vogue. Words become as alterable as hemlines and hats.

"According to this view, words are necessarily taken to mean whatever the present living members of a society say that they mean, so that the study of language really becomes a branch of sociology...such a view of language dissolves the relationship of speech to the perception of truth, rendering man the lord of language without affirming the magisterial claims of truth over man...Human society, no matter how sinful and deceived, is named the final authority over speech, which is responsible only to those who use it, subject to no standards above the merely social...words must mean what people determine them to mean, especially such people as cultural engineers, political activitists, feminist reformers, news commentators, talk-show hosts, and other professionals who make their living by fudging the truth....

"How different is the view of the Bible, where speech is not regarded, first and foremost, as a form of communication among human beings. In fact, Adam was already talking before ever Eve appeared. Human speech, that is to say, appears in Holy Scripture earlier than the creation of the second human being, for we find Adam already naming the animals prior to the arrival of the marvelous creature that God later formed from his rib.

"At the beginning, before the Fall, Man was possessed of an accurate perception into reality. He was able to name the animals because he could perceive precisely what they were. His words expressed true insight, a ravishing gaze at glory, a contemplation of real forms, so that the very structure and composition of his mind took on the seal and assumed the formal stamp of truth. Human language then was a reflection of that divine light with which heaven and earth are full. The speech of unfallen man was but the voice of vision.

"This primeval human language, the pure progeny of lustrous discernment, flowed forth already from the lips of Adam prior to the creation of Eve, who heard it for the first time when her husband, awaking from his mystic sleep, identified her and told her exactly who she was: "You are bone of my bone, and flesh of my flesh." Human speech was already rooted in the vision of truth before it became the expression of human communication.

"Moreover, the Fall itself, when it came, derived from that demonic disassociation of speech from truth that we call the Lie: "You will not surely die." Eve's acquiescence in that first lie was mankind's original act of metaphysical rebellion. It had more to do with the garbling of Babel than with the garden of Eden. It was human language's first declaration of independence: "Our lips are our own: who is lord over us?"

"Just as truthful speech streams forth from vision, springing from the font of a pure heart, so lying is conceived in the duplicitous heart before it issues from the mouth. Says Psalm 11: "Each one has spoken follies to his neighbor, deceitful lips have spoken with divided heart." The situation described here is so bad that one despairs of finding any truths left in human discourse: "Save me, O God, for the godly man has disappeared, because truths are diminished among the sons of men...The wicked prowl on every side."

"In contrast to these varied, seemingly universal lies of men stand the reliable words of God: "The words of the Lord are pure words, smelted silver purged of dross, purified seven times." In this very unveracious world we yet trust that, though heaven and earth pass away, His words will never pass away."

- from Christ in the Psalms, Patrick Henry Reardon, Conciliar Press, 2000

The Kingdom of God

Living in a Western, democratic country which rewards individualism, ambition, and material success brings with it its own set of problems for one who is trying to live "in" the world but not "of" I the world. Fr. Sveshnikov posted a worthy examination of this conflict. You may read the entire article here. What follows is an excerpt:

In the Gospel reading for the memory of the saints, we hear about the strange beatitudes or qualities that make people blessed in the eyes of God (Matt. 5:1-12). They are the blessed qualities that shine forth through the lives of saints, but how unusual they are in the eyes of the secular world! Christ says: “Blessed are the poor in spirit” (3), but it is the rich and the arrogant that the world adores. “Blessed are those who mourn” (4), but the world urges us not to even think about death, to forget that this earthly life has a purpose and an end. “Blessed are the meek” (5), but it is the ruthless that get ahead in the secular world, and it is through brutality that earthly kingdoms are established. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (6), but the world wants us to hunger and thirst for very different things. “Blessed are the merciful” (7), but secular schools teach the doctrine of the survival of the fittest. “Blessed are the pure in heart” (8), but purity is trampled into dirt in today’s society. “Blessed are the peacemakers” (9), but the secular definition of peacemaking is to start a preemptive war. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake” (10), but the world persecutes righteousness and leaves no place for it as it marches along the path of “social progress.” Blessed are those who are persecuted for Christ (11), but who are the persecutors? In ancient Israel, they were the leaders of the people. In ancient Rome, they were the best emperors. And in Russia, those who envisioned a “bright future” for all slaughtered hundreds of thousands of clergy and millions of the faithful. We must remember this fact whenever we feel comfortable in this world order, whenever the world seems to be our friend. “Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (Jas. 4:4).

The kingdom of Christ is not of this world (John 18:36). It is in this world, but it is not of this world. This distinction is very important for us. We must not treat the kingdom of God as some sort of a fantasy happening sometime in the future on some far-away planet. On the contrary, life with God must begin in this earthly life, and “behold, the kingdom of God is in the midst of you” (Luke 17:21). And those who follow Christ get to partake of the kingdom in anticipation of the resurrection of the world to life with Christ. Similarly, those who reject Christ and His kingdom in this life, get to partake of life without God in anticipation of the eternal result of their choice. Those who choose to live according to sins and passions that rule the secular world, rather than according to the law of Christ, get their choice inscribed in their hearts, even as those who choose Christ get His law inscribed in theirs (Heb 8:10).

Fr. Sergei Sveshnikov, M.Div., M.A.A.Th. - Rector of the Holy New Martyrs and Confessors of Russia Orthodox Church in Mulino, Oregon (Western American Diocese of the Russian Orthodox Church)

In Dependence

"In popular culture dependence is often understood as a sick relationship, a lack of personal control, an inability to stand on one's own two feet. This goes so far that for many dependence has no simply neutral meaning but is always a bad thing." — Don Talafous OSB

Truly, in our American culture, I can't think of any situation in which dependence is valued and prized. Young adults who live at home with their parents are considered immature or unmotivated. A manager who doesn't claw his/her way to the top of the corporate ladder is viewed as passive and without goals or ambitions. We don't want to have to depend on anyone for financial help, emotional support, or physical assistance. We would rather do without something than be forced to borrow an item from a neighbor or friend. What ever happened to people sharing things, so that we all didn't have to possess all the same things? This hunger to create our own little kingdoms of possessions is fed by commercialism and the message that we deserve it and shouldn't be dependent on others.

Is it any wonder that we struggle with concepts such as "I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me"? This goes against everything in our being! I can do NOTHING without Christ? Well, we certainly CAN do something without Christ, but...it will go up in a puff of smoke at the day of judgment. We can do nothing of ETERNAL value and significance - without Christ. Does that matter to us? It should. If it does matter, then be prepared for a lifelong battle with the voices of our culture. You will be misunderstood, overlooked, and seen as weak. Only the Spirit can give us the wisdom and power and perseverance to swim up this crowded stream. May we ask for His help daily.

In Dependence

"In popular culture dependence is often understood as a sick relationship, a lack of personal control, an inability to stand on one's own two feet. This goes so far that for many dependence has no simply neutral meaning but is always a bad thing." — Don Talafous OSB

Truly, in our American culture, I can't think of any situation in which dependence is valued and prized. Young adults who live at home with their parents are considered immature or unmotivated. A manager who doesn't claw his/her way to the top of the corporate ladder is viewed as passive and without goals or ambitions. We don't want to have to depend on anyone for financial help, emotional support, or physical assistance. We would rather do without something than be forced to borrow an item from a neighbor or friend. What ever happened to people sharing things, so that we all didn't have to possess all the same things? This hunger to create our own little kingdoms of possessions is fed by commercialism and the message that we deserve it and shouldn't be dependent on others.

Is it any wonder that we struggle with concepts such as "I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without Me"? This goes against everything in our being! I can do NOTHING without Christ? Well, we certainly CAN do something without Christ, but...it will go up in a puff of smoke at the day of judgment. We can do nothing of ETERNAL value and significance - without Christ. Does that matter to us? It should. If it does matter, then be prepared for a lifelong battle with the voices of our culture. You will be misunderstood, overlooked, and seen as weak. Only the Spirit can give us the wisdom and power and perseverance to swim up this crowded stream. May we ask for His help daily.