Reflection: John 16:12-15
In today’s Gospel, Jesus promises us that when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide us into all truth. It is important to read this sentence well. Because it does not say that today, here and now, we already have the whole truth. What he tells us is that the Holy Spirit will guide us towards the truth. The conclusion is easy: we are on the way. That whole truth is revealed as we pass through the horizon towards which we are heading but not as something we already possess. It is important to keep this in mind. Because there are many Christians who believe they are already in possession of the truth. And they are so convinced that they are the custodians of the truth and that except they themselves, everyone else is wrong, and the rest of the world lives in error. We often hear people finding faults with the teachings of the Church. Like the Pharisees of the time of Jesus, some in the Church regard traditions of the Church is more important than the commandment to love and forgive. The reality is a little different. There is an image that can help us to better understand the situation of the pilgrim Church. The image is that of a pilgrimage where the one who goes ahead has a lantern, that serves to vaguely illuminate the way. Those who walk behind, following this lantern, know where they want to go but they have to grope their way a little because darkness surrounds them. So are we men and women of this world, of all generations, walking and searching for the best, with many mistakes and errors along the way. But always with our eyes on the horizon, on the destination we want to reach: the Kingdom. Those who work for justice, scientists who seek remedies and solutions that make people’s lives easier, politicians who are honest and want to serve society, Christians and members of other religions, we are all seeking the best for this world, for humanity. We have only one lantern and that is the Spirit that animates our steps and encourages us to collaborate with everyone to make this world a better place for the sons and daughters of God, where no one is excluded or condemned. Always open to dialogue, always full of hope because, like Jesus, like God, we believe in humanity and that God is working out his plan of salvation in our history.