Word to the Wise
Wednesday, April 22, 2009 - Wednesday in the Second Week of Easter
[Acts 5:17-26 and John 3:16-21]But whoever lives the truth comes to the light, so that his works may be clearly seen as done in God.
One of the "pet" words that appears often now in discourse about persons who are in positions of trust is "transparency." While I doubt that a single definition of the term, as it is used in this discourse, could be found, there seems to be a sort of consensus that transparency means the person has "nothing to hide." That, of course, leads to the question of privacy. What does it mean to have "nothing to hide?" After nearly 38 years of hearing confessions, I think I am safe in saying that just about all of us have "something to hide" even if it would be of no consequence to anyone else! In fact, there is wisdom to the statement, "It's none of your business!" So, then, when we seek to live the truth and come to the light, what is it that we mean by this kind of transparency? Does it mean that we are completely "fault-free" and glow in the dark with an especially bright halo around our skulls? No, of course not! However, I think it does mean a kind of selflessness that is apparent in the way we serve others. Self-interest has been at the root of the current financial crisis. Self-interest is at the root of most international crises. Self-interest is at the root of most interpersonal crises. If we wish our works to be seen clearly as "done in God" we have to try, imperfectly though it may be, to love as God loves, and the opening line from today's gospel indicates that "God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten son..." AMEN
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