By Ellen Kaas

The psalmist knows that God desires truth, but what is truth? And can I handle the truth?

In today’s environment of constant misinformation, disinformation, and downright lies, it has become exceedingly difficult to find the truth. And with more advanced technology, it becomes even harder to distinguish between what is true and what is fake.

The psalmist implores God to teach us wisdom. Wisdom, according to Merriam-Webster, is the good sense, judgment, or insight that we exercise when we are acting on knowledge. First, we need the knowledge. Then, we need the ability to apply common sense to that knowledge. This will allow us to find wisdom in our “secret hearts,” which will provide us with truth in our inward being.

Our knowledge has come to us, and continues to expand, from sources that we trust:  our parents, teachers, professors, mentors, and pastors, and from first-hand experience. Our wisdom and our ability to act on this knowledge come from the insights that we gain through thoughtful reflection, meditation, and prayer. This is what happens in our “secret heart.” But it is not easy. We need to take the time to stop, to breathe, to sink deep into our hearts and to reflect on all that we have seen and heard. Then, we need to listen and to experience what our heart has to say to us. In this way we can arrive at the truth in our inmost being.

When we take the time to honestly listen to our inmost being, we do not always like what we hear. It often challenges us. But this is where we find the truth.

And where does CJI, find this truth? One example can be found in Chiapas, Mexico, where we are supporting a Jesuit-led initiative run by the Indigenous Rights Centre (Centro de Derechos Indigenas or CEDIAC). The centre recognizes and promotes the Tseltal normative system as a legitimate and effective model of justice and social harmony. We might believe that our system of justice is the best that exists. However, when we gather knowledge about the Indigenous groups in Chiapas and their traditions and then reflect on that knowledge with an open mind and heart, we discover the value and the wisdom in what they have been doing for centuries.

Ellen Kaas is the Finance Director at Canadian Jesuits International.