3 Nov 2011
Belt up
I was reading Ephesians 6 today and was struck with just how practical Paul’s metaphor of the armor of God really is.
One of the ongoing challenges for me is to really live a life of faith and I find the picture of the armor asks me some useful questions.
The very first piece of armour is:
the belt of truth buckled around your waist (Eph 6:14)
Truth is uncomfortable, and the kind of truth that Paul is talking about is the most uncomfortable kind of truth. The belt of a Roman Soldier was a huge thing that covered the lower stomach and groin area: the part of our body most associated with our physical drives.
Paul is saying that the starting point of sanity is the ability to tell yourself the truth about what is motivating you, about who you actually are.
Jesus said the truth will set you free, but that kind of freedom is a scary thing. It is easier to live predictably.
C.S. Lewis said:
No [person] who values originality will ever be original. But try to tell the truth as you see it, try to do any bit of work as well as it can be done for the work’s sake, and what [people] call originality will come.
Malcolm Muggeridge said:
Throughout history, truth has been considered a form of dementia, and those who have turned away from fantasy and fixed their eyes on reality, judged insane.
Truth matters, but its also uncomfortable.
If I really want to have faith I also have to face the disconcerting reality of me.