Really

Relativism says that there is no one truth.  And when you think about it, this is the OPPOSITE of what Christ tells us.  Christ is the WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE. 

Jesus in the Field (Youngsung Kim)

When Henry Ford industrialised the first mass produced automobile in the early twentieth century, what he did was create ONE type of vehicle and to manufacture it in a consistent manner.  In order to make the car affordable, the car was standardised.  This not only made it faster and easier to produce, but it also meant that the consistency resulted in deep knowledge and understanding of the car and the way that it worked.  This meant cars became easier to repair and easier to work with.

Henry Ford famously said, when he was asked what choices would be available with his cars, “You can have black or black.”  And what he meant was that under his manufacturing system, there was no economy of scale (or economic benefit) to producing a variety of coloured cars.  The best result that he could produce in a mass-produced manner would be to make identical vehicles.

In other words, there was very little choice.

When I was a little girl, my maternal grandmother told me that women had two choices in life – to marry or become a nun.  I look back on those conversations now with my adult eyes, and see such a lack of choice in that direction from my grandmother.  I do not judge her for this, but rather I see that she lived in a different world, where women were so constrained by the choices offered for and to them.

And perhaps that lack of choice resulted in more commitment.

I think there is one thing that is really missing in modern society.  And that one thing – in my opinion – is commitment.

We are so spoiled for choice.

We can choose pretty much everything.  Not only can we choose our careers, homes, locations, cars, colours, clothes and mentality.  We can also choose what we accept as “truth”.  We can even – in this world – be allowed to legally choose our sex.

In other words – nothing – is true because anything could be.  Even the data coded into my DNA can be called into question.  Scientific facts are only things that can get into my way. And I have been thinking about this today as the real question is whether I really want to be a Saint?

It is almost good enough to be near enough.  These days children are taught in schools that everything is relative.  This philosophy of “relativism” is terrible with terrible consequences on young people and the formation of values.  Relativism says that there is no one truth.  And when you think about it, this is the OPPOSITE of what Christ tells us.  Christ is the WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE.  It is Christ’s identity as TRUTH that is the choice that we are asked to make.  When I cannot accept that – or when I consider that one thing or another thing will influence truth, I am effectively rejecting God – who is TRUTH.

And in accepting this relativism in my life, I have to ask myself whether I really – REALLY REALLY – want to be a Saint?  After all, if no one thing is True then nothing is…

For with prayer, I stand on Holy Ground where everything is clear. Here. At the Foot of the Cross.