“Truth”

“Jesus said in John 8, ‘Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’ The Greek word for truth, alethea was, at Jesus’ time, infused with collective meaning. In other words, truth required a group consensus, borne of experience and observation, where all were made secure, safe, and whole. The Greek word for freedom, eleuthera, carried the meaning that to be free is to grow. Eleuthera also carried a collective meaning: eleuthera signified freedom for a group of people, and not just individuals. Putting it all together, ‘the truth will set you free’ meant, from Jesus’s mouth, “We can grow as a people when we reach an agreement or consensus together where all are made to feel safe, secure, and whole.”

Meditation by The Rev. Elizabeth Peterson, preacher

Sunday, October 26, 2025