Thursday August 29th: What a price!

Martyrdom of St John the Baptist

John had told him, ‘It is against the law to have your brother’s wife.’

Mark 6: 17-29

Standing up to Herod as he did, and naming Herod’s sin, cost John his head on a platter. Sometimes we take a great risk when we speak truth, especially if it is unpalatable and if the other person has ‘perceived power’ over us.

A friend of mine, emboldened by his convictions, dared to speak truth in order to uphold principles deeply rooted in his value and belief systems. As a consequence, he was sidelined, denied promotion and eventually lost his job. Head on a platter…. same khaki pants as John’s, as gruesome as it may sound.

I have often asked myself were I in a similar position what would I have been prepared to lose. Perhaps, the more relevant question is, ‘What will I lose if what I subscribe to is not guided by the truth which I profess to believe?’ Maybe my integrity and credibility as a disciple…and sadly, in the long term… my soul.

Lord, give me the courage of John, and others like him, to tell the truth, live it, and shame the devil.