27 November, Friday — Truth is like God’s word; it resurrects to serve its purpose

Friday of Week 34 in Ordinary Time

Apo 20:1-4,11-21:2
Luke 21:29-33

“Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away”

In life, there is no alloy of truth — it is like God’s word, it cannot die or wither away. The books and letters of the Bible contain God’s words, from the creation of the universe to the build-up of today’s earth and the world.

Today, people have fashioned what is called ‘conditional truth’, cropped around logic and embellished lies. This is what has turned truth into subjective entity. But truth cannot perish; it has the immortality of God’s word. Though many people have languished in jail, and even died, because they could not prove their innocence or establish the truth in the eyes of men; and yet, truth lives. Such people are considered unannounced martyrs.

God does not make mistakes. He prepares today’s outcomes in life long ago because He is ever-living and ever-loving and His manifestation is seen in all ages. And for those who trust in Him, He prepares them to meet His decisions.

At the end of the Nigerian civil war in 1970, the Nigerian army maintained pockets of residual camps in some places in Eastern Nigeria — soldiers were kept to keep eyes on our subdued people and what was called Transport Directorate was stationed in my town, Okwelle, in today’s Imo State.

Nduka, my cousin, was a 15-year lad who acted as the leader of our peer mates. He was sound, resolute in actions and we gave him that credit. On the evening of 10 February, 1970, he was arrested by some soldiers on trumped-up charges of insulting them because he was vocal. He was tortured to confess that he committed the offence, but he refused to rewrite the truth. The soldiers saw that as a ready way of eliminating him and he was taken away for more than thirty days. The conclusion was that he had been killed. But the unthinkable happened — one night, the soldier who was manning the cell where he was kept brought food for him and left without securing the entrance properly. That night, he walked out of the cell almost naked, and left the confines of the camp undetected. To this day, that event remained a mystery he could not explain. Nduka went on in life to become a Catholic priest to live the truth of his escape and to prove that truth is like God’s word; it resurrects to serve its purpose. Five years ago, in 2015, when he celebrated his 25^th priestly anniversary, he recounted that event with the touch of brevity in God.

(Today’s Oxygen by Julius Otusorochukwu Dike, KSJI, JP)

Prayer: Our Father and Lord, please grant those who believe in truth the strength to stand the trials of life in defending what is the truth all the time. Grant us resilience in faith and dedication in standing on truth, as we live by your words and commitment that go with them. We ask this in faith, Amen.

Thanksgiving: Our Father and Lord in Heaven, we are grateful to you for granting us inner will and drive to stand by the truth all the time because we believe in you. We thank you for sustaining that faith in us, Amen.