Living the truth

Timm with Mom in 2007 when he was down in Florida for his nephew's funeral. Timm shared with Mom a daily morning habit of Bible reading and reflection.

In the post from the past weekend, "A man of faith and ideas," I quoted Timm reflecting on the creation story and wondering aloud if our human story was introduced as a means of resolving a greater conflict of good and evil:

... For whatever reason, God could not do more than banish Satan and the angels at the time of their sin, but would need something else to happen. Perhaps his Holiness still needed appeasement prompting Him to make this universe of time and space, knowing what Satan would do, allowing Yahweh to finally be done with Satan once and for all. Maybe that's where we come in.

In other writings I’ve found on Timm's laptop, it’s was clear that Timm continued to think about this, to play with it and turn the origin story around in his mind, playing it back and then imagining it forward as he searched for and built upon his relationship with God.

Biblical truth, for Timm, was umbilical to his daily reality, to the fealty of living God’s truth on earth. I believe he wrote the following tale as an up-to-date parable, playing out the consequences of a Bible verse that obviously was deeply meaningful to him. "1 John" was in first-draft form – lots of misspellings and awkward sentence constructions which I’ve mostly repaired (Mom, I’m sure you’ll catch more in your reading) – but it does provide another interesting window onto Timm’s habit of thinking "three deep" about his faith and his world.

To tell the truth always is to live in God’s will: a tall order, perhaps, but it kept Timm on a path of ever-more-honest living. He was headed in the right direction, I’d say.

Self-portrait of Timm at the Pacific shore of Tillamook, Oregon (2007)

1 JOHN

by Timm O'Cobhthaigh

"Mike, did you finish the report over the weekend like you promised?" asked Mike's supervisor at the General Selectrics processing plant.

Mike’s heart jumped into his throat as he was confronted with the question he had been dreading.

"Uh, no," he stammered, and then lied: "I was sick all weekend with food poisoning. I spent the whole time crashed on the couch in my living room, too sick to do anything.”

"Okay, but make it your highest priority today,” his supervior said brusquely before walking off. “I need it by the end of the day for tomorrow's meeting."

Mike relaxed, grateful that the incident was over but feeling guilty about lying. Truth was, his wife and kids had been complaining about being neglected due to all the time he was spending on the job. To keep the peace and restore some priorities, he'd put off his promise to his boss to work over the weekend, and spent the time instead with his family.

"I know it was a lie, but he wouldn't understand the truth," he explained to his wife Julie that night.

Far off, bound neither by time or space, angels were coming and going from the great throne room of the King of Kings. Cherubim and seraphim flew around the throne chanting, "Holy, holy, holy is our God."

On the throne the Creator sat, saddened by what he had just seen transpire in Mike's life.

"We are separated again," he sighed heavily, the pain of the diminished contact with a child evident in his tone. "It grieves me so when my children choose to break My laws and separate themselves from me. I love them so much, the distance just breaks my heart. If only they would fully trust me to take care of them in every situation."

Across the room the Creator's mood was felt, paining all who were there.

"I will lay conviction on his heart and hopefully bring him to repentance before this leads to further sin and distance," proclaimed the Advocate. "We will stop at nothing to restore the communion."

Mike awoke the next day, and as was customary he picked up his Bible, poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down to spend some time with God.

This morning his reading was in 1 John 2, a section he had read many times but not in a while.

"The one who says 'I have come to know Him' and does not keep His commandments is a liar and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps His word, in him the love of God has truly been perfected."

Conviction sprang up again in Mike's heart as he remembered the incident from the day before. The word "liar" pierced his heart, slicing through the rationalizations that he had spouted and striking at the core.

Falling on his knees he cried out to God, confessing his sin.

"Father, Mike has confessed his sin of lying and is asking for your forgiveness," said the Advocate.

"Yes, but what of the price that needs to be paid for the sin?" inquired the King.

"It has been paid by me, the propitiation for this, with the blood shed on Calvary," the Advocate responded.

Joy filled the throne room as the King of Kings face lit up with excitement. "We are reunited - nothing currently separates us from our intimacy. Any time spent separate from a child due to their choice to sin is much too long," declared the King.

"I love my children so much."