31 March 2020
Tuesday of the Fifth Week of Lent
There is a difference between speaking plain and speaking in platitudes. One who speaks plainly gets to the heart of things. One who speaks in platitudes over-simplifies. It is possible to point clearly to reality, without ostentation, and still raise more questions than answers. As reality is complex, this is actually more likely than not when speaking plainly. Platitudes make things appear settled which are not.
When Jesus speaks today, He speaks plainly. He speaks as one who possesses the truth. What He says is hard to grasp—why is He going where we cannot follow? What does He mean “you will realize that I AM”?—but it is clear. This clarity, free from platitudes, inspires those who hear Him to believe in Him. Through His teachings, we are brought face-to-face with reality, in all its vast complexity, and have something solid to consider. Unpacking the complex truth of His plain teaching is a worthy task to occupy the whole of our lives.