God as the Truth
The greatest fact in the story of man on earth is not his material achievement, the empires that he builds, nor the dynasties that he demolishes, but the growth of his soul from age to age in its search for truth in this world. Those who take part in these adventures of the soul secure an enduring place in the history of mankind. And somehow, two of these greatest world-changing souls were of Mahatma Gandhi and Sojourner Truth—two different people whose greatness does not just only lie in their saintly living, but also in their heroic struggle for life.
Mahatma Gandhi, a unique explorer of soul, whose ideas are deeply formed in tradition but are modern in spirit, proved the world that by applying these ideas in the field of politics, one can determine the nature of his true existence, whether it may be by spiritual or by political aspect. Gandhi’s devotion for truth had drawn him into the field of politics for he believed that religion has something to do with it. He also believed that for one to identify his self with everything that lives, he must live with his foe and friends. And this was what Gandhi did to free his country from bondage. In his principle of Satyagraha, Gandhi manifested an idealism of truth with his faith in God. Indeed, it is his faith in God that has created in him a new man whose power and passion and love we feel. But it appears that Gandhi was just influenced by a number of men, for his expression of faith was similar to many popular common ideas. But, to some extent, it is more appropriate to say that his ideas were not shaped from these influences, rather these influences just strengthen his ideas.
A life without God is empty. This was what Isabella Van Wagener, an African slave, used to believe in. Very early in her life, Isabella’s mother taught her to pray, a belief system that helped her mold her spiritual character. Her mother also taught her obedience and honesty so was her masters. But though her moral principle was a combination of her mother and her masters teaching, as she undergone the process of being spiritually enlightened, she grew holding her own principle. She woke up realizing that believing in the institution of slavery is an error. But she never regretted the time she spent faithful and true to her masters because for her, it made her true to her God. Thus, as a woman who lived in a spiritually rich life, to free herself from slavery, Isabella transformed herself into Sojourner Truth. Moreover, Sojourner Truth manifested a magical influence through her words that made the heart of nation beat in gratitude. She inspired humanity by her own simple way and fought for equality among all of God’s creation. Yes, she’s just a woman, a woman of truth and rights.
They were two different people who had sought truth in the midst of uncertainty. One may have an edge toward the other for her originality, but they both showed the nation that although it’s not easy to build a world where there’s peace and justice attach, that does not prove that great progress is impossible. Gandhi and Sojourner clearly convey that God is the center of their belief system and that God for them is the sacred truth as just like what Gandhi stated, “God is Truth and Truth is God”.
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