“Truth is Words that Bring Life”

I could not get this phrase out of my head yesterday, mostly because I have trouble bringing this kind of Truth to people.

This is a quote form Jean Vanier the found of L’Arche, a network of communities around the world that serves the worlds disabled.  In these communities the disabled and the nondisabled live together.  They pray together, worship together, eat together and most importantly learn from one another. 

I want to talk about the reason why I have trouble bringing this kind of Truth to people.

During the session, a question was given to Jean along the lines of “If you started L’Arche today, what would you do differently?”  Jean, in his calming voice said, “I don’t deal with hypotheticals, I deal with reality.” 

You see, for Jean, he saw an injustice happening and acted on it.  He didn’t wait until he had enough experience or had a plan for action………he just did it.  I mean, we think we should wait three years and then act upon the injustices that we see, but I believe that this hinders on what we believe Truth is. 

Truth is here and Truth is now and it brings the life-giving that we all long for.

I tend to stand by and wait until I am “qualified” to bring life to someone, but what I learned from Jean is that there are endless ways in which we miss these opportunities everyday.  I don’t understand why I continue to live in a world of Hypotheticals in which I ask questions like, “What will I do when I’m done with school?” or “How can I plan the rest of my life so that it is easy and comfortable for ME?” instead of “What can I do today, here and now?”  Jean seemed to agree when he said, “I don’t understand how you all can live in the world that you do.”  “It doesn’t seem like its too much fun.”  And this is coming from an 80 year old man who has served the people who are forgotten about in our society.  This is a man who still cares for a young man who is deaf and blind.  Jean has found life and gives life every day. 

I must confess…………..I don’t