In our church calendar it is the seventh week of Easter. In our readings, Luke authored the book of Acts to record the story of Jesus’ work after his resurrection in the years 60-62 AD. Yet, these readings are highly relevant today. The story of Jesus was not about good works in accordance with the laws of God, but the teachings of Christ that Gentiles and Jews alike are justified alone by faith in Jesus Christ. Today, we read about the social and political context in which Paul proclaims these truths about the Kingdom of God. It was not easy work for Paul. Having himself undergone a personal transformation to the faith proclaimed by Christ, Paul was mistrusted by many Gentiles and especially mistrusted by the Jews. To be fair, they were all seeking truth, but how would they know it? The Gospel says they were sent the Spirit of truth, but this was a new experience for them. They had to learn to be open to the Spirit’s guidance.

The lessons today reveal a critical element in our faith today as well as challenges to the growth of Christianity in the Roman world. Discernment. As a professor of anthropology at Creighton University, I was encouraged by the fact that our students were continually challenged to discern the truth in all situations. Students learned to seek spiritual guidance in their perceptions and understanding of complex or demanding situations. Seeking spiritual guidance is how we learn to discern the truth. John 16 says that the Lord will send us the Spirit of truth who will guide us. Yet, the truth is often obscured. The Gospel lesson today says that the stories told in the book of John are true because the Spirit of truth inspired them. We have learned to trust the Bible for truths. Daily life, however, requires constant discernment in new situations. I pray today that we will open our hearts to the words in John 16: 7 and 13, “I will send to you the Spirit of truth, says the Lord; he will guide you to all truth.”  And may we practice discernment.