Brian’s Reflection: Monday, April 2, 2007


If you shut up truth and bury it under the ground, it will but grow,
and gather to itself such explosive power that the day it bursts
through it will blow up everything in its way.

- Emile Zola, French Author, born on this day, 1840


I hope the day is coming!! Because we, the human community, are desperately in need of that day to burst forth.

People talk about their religions as “the Truth”. I guess all religious leaders talk about It. Jesus said, “You shall know the Truth, and the Truth shall set you free”. The Dalai Llama says, "Of course, there are different truths on different levels. Things are true relative to other things; "long" and "short" relate to each other, "high" and "low," and so on. But is there any absolute truth? Something self-sufficient, independently true in itself? I don't think so." Religions often claim to “own” the Truth to gain adherents – and power; but have you noticed that the “founders” of a faith seldom claim to have the Truth, only to point toward it?

Many truths lie buried, very often buried by those who want to control it in some way. Zola is right: this does not work. I believe it is a “truth” that all men and women are brothers, & sisters, equal, and free. Try burying these truths ….. many have, and still do today. But these truths will grow and gather “such explosive power that the day it bursts through it will blow up everything in its way”.

On Easter Day, in the Christian story, Jesus will rise from the dead, burst forth from the grave. This will be an eternal sign. Love of Creation, humanity, justice, peace, cannot be killed or buried. It will, as did Jesus, burst forth from its flimsy tomb and blow up everything in its way.

How long, O Lord, how long??

Brian+