One line from today’s gospel reading stood out to me: "The truth shall set you free."

In my heart and in my brain, I know that. But there is a disconnect. Jesus’ words also made me think of a famous American movie phrase: “You can’t handle the truth,” which is spoken in a tense courtroom scene. And I wonder if I am somewhere in the middle of those two thoughts.

I know the truth will set me free. I know I am held back by my own unwillingness to accept that I can’t lie to myself. The truth won’t set me free if I try to get around what I know to be true. If I think I can think poorly of someone, if I think I can get away with feeling better at someone’s expense, if I try to skirt what I know I should be doing in my prayer life and the rest of my life. I know the truth. And I know how accepting the truth can set me free. I am a flawed and broken person as we all are. God loves me the way I am. I have become a slave to sin, to the easy way, to things that momentarily make me feel better but do not offer consolation.

I think I sometimes feel I can’t handle the truth that God loves me because of my flaws and my brokenness. But he does. Like the people in John’s gospel grappling with the ideas Jesus presented, I look for loopholes or other explanations. I need to remain in the word of God and truly be a disciple. I can see the truth that I can pay attention to the large and small things every day where I know I can do the right thing. I know that truth will set me free. And I know that I can handle that truth with God’s help.

Let me keep the word of God with a generous heart.