Speaking Truth Unto God
From the realm of politics I sometimes hear the phrase, "Speak truth to power." It sounds like a battle cry of the oppressed or somebody standing up to authorities and holding them accountable.
In the scriptures for the daily Catholic Mass on January 12, we see two people "speaking truth to God." That sounds rough - even as I write it - and not a whole lot like the kind of prayer God might want. After all, He doesn't just know the truth, He is All Truth. And He's not just any old power that somebody might dare-tremble to confront. We're talking about Eternal Omnipotence for goodness sake! But I fully believe that when we pray, this All-Powerful, All-Knowing, Eternally Present God wants the truth from us - even when we are dead wrong.
In the first Mass reading (1 Samuel 1:9-20), Eli the priest sees a woman named Hannah "weeping copiously" in the Lord's temple for a long time. Praying silently, she moved her lips but could not be heard. Eli approached Hannah and scolded, "How long will you make a drunken show of yourself? Sober up from your wine!" But Hannah responded that she "was only pouring out (her) troubles to the Lord." Hannah was hurting bitterly because of her inability to conceive a child. And she confronted the Lord with the truth of her pain so aggressively - so emotionally - that the temple priest accused her of being drunk. She nearly got herself thrown out of the temple for passionately speaking the truth of her circumstances to God. But "in the course of time Hannah became pregnant and gave birth to a son," Samuel, who became Judge over all of Israel and its first prophet.
In the gospel reading on January 12 (Mark 1:21-28) a man with an unclean spirit cries out to Jesus, 'What have you to do with us Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are -- the Holy One of God!" The man was tormented by satan, but he spoke honestly and powerfully to Jesus the thoughts that were genuinely in his heart. He sounds angry and even like he is accusing Christ of malice. You might expect that God would instantly make ash out of such a man. But Jesus commands the unclean spirit to be quiet and casts it out of the man. The man cried out the hard and painful truth of what he was experiencing and Jesus responded by setting him free.
Can we tell God honestly about our pain? Can we take that pain to Him and show it with real emotion - passionate emotion? Can we bitterly pour out our troubles, confusion, questions, and doubts to Him? Is it okay to tell God that you are angry with Him - and be angry while you are telling Him? Really, honestly showing your anger to Him and at Him? As a friend once advised me in a desperately troubled time, "You might as well tell Him. He knew you were angry at Him before you did."
Go ahead. Hit God with it - what is honestly on your mind, the truth of what you're feeling, what is genuinely in your spirit. Cry out. Pour out your troubles to Him - even your anger and sin. He always wants to hear from you. And, of course, He wants you to be completely honest about what you're feeling. You don't have to hide anything. He loves you. How much? He sent His Son to die for you. And, believe it or not, your emotional honesty won't break Him. He's been down this road once or twice before.
Speak truth to God, listen to what He says back, and know that He will move heaven and earth on your behalf. He gave Hannah a son who became a great prophet after she poured out her troubles. And He set the possessed man free. Cry out to Jesus and know that He loves you no matter what!
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