In the first reading today we hear the famous passage in Paul's second letter to the Corinthians where he addresses the matter of the so-called "superapostles." Here he is not using the term as a term of honor. While we do not know precisely who he was talking about we can deduce from the text that they were other preachers, probably much more eloquent than Paul who came preaching something different from what Paul preached and began to divide the church.
Paul understands the human condition and how easily we can be seduced by the way a person looks, or how eloquently they speak, or how much they tell us what we want to hear, or want to believe is true.
Listening to all favors of political discourse, I have come to the conclusion that we define:
"wasteful government spending" as money that goes to other people, foreign or domestic.
"essential services" are those that benefit me, my family and my friends.
We all want to cut the money that goes to someone we don't know personally.
None of us wants to hear words like sacrifice or pain.
Paul was man who spoke the truth and it is clear from reading his letters that the truth he spoke often did not sit well with the communities to whom he spoke it.
While it is sometimes difficult to discern the truth in our modern world. Paul reminds us that as Christians we must be committed to seeking it, to speaking it, and hearing it, which is perhaps the most difficult.
What are the truths that we do not want to hear? What are the truths that we know but try to ignore?
