When the Stones Cry Out
WHEN brave men and women resist tyranny, despots try in any way possible to silence their voices. Though the tyrants may briefly succeed, the voice of freedom and truth eventually breaks through, as we are now seeing in Russia and Eastern Europe. Attempts to silence truth do, indeed, reach back through history. In Jesus' time, his opponents attempted to restrain the obvious joy the people felt at the new spirit of life and love that Christ Jesus brought. At one point as he was entering Jerusalem, some of
the Pharisees complained about the tumult, urging: ``Master, rebuke thy disciples. But Luke's Gospel tells us Jesus replied: ``I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out.
Even when it looked as if no one was willing to speak up for the Christ, Truth, that Jesus was bringing to mankind, still its voice was heard, and such a fact illustrates something very basic about truth. Truth cannot be separated from God, nor can God be separated from truth. In fact, from her deep Bible study the Discoverer and Founder of Christian Science, Mary Baker Eddy, came to understand that Truth is another name for God. And since the very nature of God as infinite Being means that He is ever p resent, divine Truth is likewise ever present.
Doesn't this tell us why Jesus wasn't surprised at his followers' rejoicing at the healing effect of Truth in the lives of men and women? Truth has the power not only to make itself heard, but also to heal. To say it another way, since sickness and sin are actually not representative in any way of God's nature as divine Truth, the voice of Truth heals sin and sickness, as Jesus showed.
The voice of divine Truth is so powerful that it doesn't depend necessarily on people's voicing it. Perhaps that's what Jesus meant by saying ``the stones would immediately cry out--that Truth cannot be restrained. Just as Truth cannot be separated from God, neither can man be separated from God. God, Spirit, created man as a spiritual idea. And, since God is Truth, man is not separable from Truth itself. Isn't this why integrity, honesty, truthfulness, and the like are so natural to man? And doesn't thi s explain why the oppressiveness of totalitarian regimes rubs against our conscience and our natural inclinations?
The stones crying out can also be taken as pointing out the constant presence of a liberating influence in our lives. The desire for truth is universal; it is a natural part of everyone's makeup.
Jesus insisted, ``Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. The world is hungry, even starved, for this truth that unshackles people from whatever form of oppression would restrict and limit their lives. In a word, they are feeling deeply the need for God's presence.
In Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures, Mrs. Eddy writes: ``The inaudible voice of Truth is, to the human mind, `as when a lion roareth.' It is heard in the desert and in dark places of fear. Wherever you live in the world, the voice of Truth, which you hear in your own prayers, will be heard in the conscience of those who may be victims of tyranny around the world. Your prayers just may be the answer to their cries for freedom.
Truth alone is the key to genuine happiness, which is always spiritual. Those ``stones that Jesus referred to will always be there to cry out for God's truth. Let's be crying out with them.
