What is the Truth?

In the gospel of St. John during His trial, Pilate asked Jesus, "What is the truth?". There is no mention of Jesus answering this question. This has confused me a lot over time. Just before Pilate asked the question, Jesus told him that He came to the world to testify to the truth. So why did Jesus say nothing when He was given the opportunity to do so?


Fast forward two thousand years, and we see that things has changed a good bit. Nowadays we only get to hear about the truth. Truth is everywhere and everybody is in favor of the truth. Everybody claims to know the truth - the faithful, the atheist, the pro-choice, the pro-life, the politician, the lifestyle guru, the scientist, the wealthy and the homeless. Yet the world we live in is divided in the name of the truth. So what is the truth? Is there such a thing called the absolute truth? 


In a physical world, my truth is your truth only as long as it serve your purpose. You will only follow me only as long as my truth is pleasing to you, or until you find some other truth that is even more pleasing. So, I am then forced with distorting my truth to keep you pleasing all the time. The only exception to my rant about truth could be the Catholic Church - it chose not to change its teachings even when many found them unpleasant. For centuries, the Church is accused of being too old - holding onto the beliefs and traditions of the first century. In fear of losing followers, many have pleaded with the Church over time to make necessary changes to stay up to date with a changing world. But the Church kept its silence and also its rites. 

Pilate was looking at the Truth in its face when he posed the question to Jesus. Unfortunately, for the occasion, this was the unpleasant truth. Jesus didn't reply because Pilate already knew the truth, just didn't want to admit it as the truth. Pilate wanted a truth that would appease the crowd - one that saves his face while sparing the life of Jesus. Acknowledging and proclaiming Jesus as the Messiah to a blood thirsty crowd wouldn't have helped Pilate to gain any favors from them. So Pilate walked away from the truth. Following Jesus, the Church too refuses to distort the truth even if it means losing followers. The importance given to Mother Mary by the Catholic Church from its very beginning is such a truth. Over the centuries, many have left the Church because of Mary. Regardless, the Church refused to change its teaching about the Holy Virgin. 

As the Church prepares to celebrate the Feast of Immaculate Conception on December 8th, it is helpful to remember that walking away from truth does not take anything away from the truth. As I am preparing to write several articles about the Virgin Mother between the feast day and Christmas, let me disclose in advance that I used to be on the boat with people who think that Catholics give too much importance to Mary. I no longer hold to that belief as evident from the name of this blog itself. Like Pilate, we all get a chance to look at truth in its face. There is a very good chance that we might not like what we see. But truth is not at fault here, rather the problem is with our expectation of what the truth needs to be. God gave me the grace to accept the truth, though I didn't like it fully. But as the time goes by and the longer I stay in my Catholic faith, things are certainly getting easier. When I attend Mass on the Feast of Immaculate Conception this year (which is a Holy day of obligation for all Catholics), I will be standing there believing wholeheartedly that from the moment of conception the Blessed Virgin Mary was kept free of original sin and was filled with the sanctifying grace of God.

"I am the way the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. If you know me, then you will also know my Father. From now on you do know Him and have seen Him...Whoever has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:6,7,9)