Are You Open To The Truth?

One day when my mentor and I were having lunch at a restaurant, he subtly pointed to a man across the room who was sitting alone and said, “If you knew who that person truly is and their life story, you would utterly weep.” We all have a unique and extraordinary story, but so often we critique strangers or each other, rather than wonder in awe about them.

Philosopher Dr. Peter Colosi once told me, “Philosophy is humbly opening to reality, receiving it, and then putting it into language.” We are not the creators of reality, but we were all born into this given reality with its given laws of nature. If we try to conform reality to what we want it to be, reality will smack us in the face saying, “You can’t do that!” Think of a painter. A painter looks at his paper and conceives of an image in his mind, how he wants it to look, the shade, the color, etc. The painter takes the brush, dips it into the color, and begins. He quickly realizes the image that he just painted is not even close to what he had in mind. He recognizes that reality “spoke” back to him saying, “I know the image in your mind is to create a masterpiece, like Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel, but when you quickly move the brush back and forth in a random manner, it will create or bring about a ‘sloppy’ image of the reality you had in your mind. We must work with and respond to the ‘laws’ of nature because if you try to force your own image/truth onto reality, reality will push back.” 

Question: Are you creating the meaning of what you think reality is or are you living in a posture of humility and openness to discover the truth of reality? Are you consistently seeking the truth of your existence or are you afraid of it because it may call you to change the way you live your life? Do not be afraid! Living in the truth of who you are is what precisely sets you free! (see Jn. 8:32).