My Truth is Right

 

I believe that is a summary of why many younger people today are acting as they do, and with conviction.  I think those same words may also be seen in the Catholic understanding of truth, as it relates to the sacrament of Confession.  To the degree you were not aware or did not believe what you did was wrong or sinful, your culpability is lessened.  You can’t be sinful if you did not knowingly sin, is one way it is sometimes put. 

I can look back now, from my old age, and see that when I was their age I often thought as the youth today do.  I was intelligent, and when tested was usually right.  And my intelligence was materially rewarded and respected.  But I can look back now and see two key points I didn’t see (and wasn’t taught??) then.  The first is that, like the Confession caveat, you can’t know what you don’t know.  I was intelligent, but there was much that I did not know, that would take me years to know and thoroughly understand --- particularly the results of my actions on others.  I knew my truth was right but it was only right as far as I knew, but only through years of further learning did I come to understand how larger truths encompassed mine; mine was not the total reason for things.  I once read that, mentally and physically, human beings are not mature until around the age of 25.  I think that is approximately the age when a person BEGINS to relate his knowledge to others, and to the past knowledge of the world.  And even more importantly, to the wisdom of the world.

They say with age comes wisdom.  There is truth in that in that wisdom is not something which you can learn, like book learning, but is an assimilation of facts and experiences your mind considers, facts and experiences which occur over years.  The Roman Senate were counselors to Caesar, and you had to be 60 years old to be a senator; you had to have lived, and accumulated wisdom.  And up to now I’ve only been talking of human wisdom.

There is also a spiritual wisdom.  Spiritual wisdom answers the most important questions of man, which SHOULD drive his actions.  Why do things of the earth operate as they do?  Who made the rules of science?  Is there a God?  Why am I alive, now?  Who is God, and why did He uniquely create me (don’t forget, no man can EVER plan a pregnancy, it may be attempted, but only God can positively, on every try, create life; God created you and me.). 

I grew in years to see and ponder and pray over these bigger questions, always seeking greater physical and spiritual wisdom.  That is how one grows in wisdom and holiness.  In one way I can’t blame the youth of today for thinking their truth is right; I did also.  But I can see that I used my truth to impact people around me --- and can look back and see that my imperfect knowledge and wisdom seriously hurt some people --- VERY seriously hurt some, and for that I am now sorry.  Today’s youth, however, are using their truth to try to change our country; many more lives will be impacted by their actions than my actions ever did.  In my youth, I permanently impacted some lives in horrible ways as I imposed my truth on them.  I fear for what is now being imposed on our country by youthful, unwise actions, led by those who think they know the WHOLE truth, and with the support of so many adults, who believe they are making their children happy and loved, agree with their actions.  Young who are unwise; young who don’t know God, act as if they were God, knowing all truth and imposing it on others who don’t see in their imperfect ways.  They believe they create life, and so therefore can destroy it.

I pray for our youth and our country.  We are God’s children and so, despite how sure we are of our actions, at some point any parent will correct their child, which is why my prayer is also for God’s mercy.   

Only God’s truth is right.

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I had a personal experience with this “My Truth is Right” earlier this week, when a package I had shipped via UPS was returned.  The UPS store I had used for many years recently closed, and so I had shipped the package via another local UPS store, who called me about the return.  “The address was wrong,” they said.  I went and picked up the package and took it home, checking the address of my niece in Idaho and confirming that the ship-to address on the package was in fact hers, and I double checked it against my Christmas card list.  Same address.  So, I went back to that UPS store and noted that the address was in fact correct; the prior UPS store I had used had shipped to that address for many years, my Christmas cards mailed to that address did not come back, so the U.S. Postal service could find that address, and finally I offered to let them speak to my niece who said she has lived there for over 30 years, at that address.  But, the youthful UPS clerk and the other young people there agreed, the UPS driver had said the address did not exist; and they could not re-ship to a bad address, and finally, no, I could not get a refund.  It was my fault.  They knew the truth.

I took the package to Fed Ex, who assured me they would make the delivery (and they changed me $1 less that the UPS rate).