Into All Truth: Camellia Bailey
“I still have many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all the truth, for he will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears he will speak, and he will declare to you the things that are to come. He will glorify me, for he will take what is mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has is mine; therefore I said that he will take what is mine and declare it to you.” (John 16:12-15)
In this passage from John, Jesus is telling the disciples that when he leaves, he will send the Holy Spirit, or what he calls here the Spirit of truth. This spirit will “guide them into all truth,” and will declare to the disciples what is to come, sharing with them what he has received from Jesus the Son and the Son sharing with the Spirit what he has received from God the father. Here, Jesus gives a concise description of the perfect flow of the Holy Trinity.
But what strikes me the most is how Jesus describes the Holy Spirit as a being of utmost humility. He says when the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide the disciples into all truth, but will not speak on his own authority, but whatever he hears from the Son.
I think part of what it means for the Holy Spirit to lead us into all truth is for us to be led into this same humility and spirit of deference in our relationships with the Lord. What would it look like for us to speak not on our own authority, but the words we’ve received from God in prayer? I’ve never been great at the silence portion of lectio divina, but lately I've been reminded of how necessary it is. When I go for a while without that time of intentional listening- of putting my own stew of thoughts aside to receive what the Lord has to tell me- I feel more directionless. I feel more anxious and conflicted about what I should do or what I should say in a given situation. But when I submit to that silence, I allow myself to be drawn not into my own thoughts or what I think is right or what I think I should do or say, but into that holy flow where all of the good gifts of the Kingdom are shared in common between the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit- and miraculously- ourselves. In this humble kind of prayer, overtime we can learn how to live lives that aren’t directed by our fears, but by the truth.
And every time we receive Communion, this miraculous relationship between ourselves and the Holy Trinity continues. When we receive the Body and Blood, let us put aside our various anxieties and doubts and allow the Holy Spirit to guide us into the mysterious truth: that while we were still sinners, Christ died for each one of us, and that proves that God loves us. Amen.
Camellia Bailey is a LA Tech and ACF (formerly “The Wesley”) alum from Shreveport, LA. She earned her BFA in Studio Art, after which she served two years as a Missionary Intern and a year as Associate Director for our ministry. In addition to her role as Administrative Assistant, she is also a professional artist and co-owner of Sister Shop- an original art business she founded with her sister Chlese Henderson. Her favorite things to do include spending time with her husband Akin, hanging out with friends, making art, thrift shopping, and gardening. She is passionate about sharing the goodness of scripture and the love of God with others.