Veritas - A Quadrant in the Regents Crest by Rod Gilbert
“What is truth?” Pilate wryly said to the crowd and Jesus. There was no long discussion
on the matter because Jesus had already set the stage. The real question was, “Who is
Truth?” Christ being The Truth changes the complexion of the conversation. Nowadays,
the question still rolls around our society. We want to know truth, but many are quick to
dismiss the ability to know it beyond all shadow of a doubt.
That is sad. The murkiness in the shadows makes our existence less palatable in my
opinion. Honestly, if I was not convinced that Jesus is Truth, then I would find this
earthly life exhausting. If someone said to me, “I don’t care about anything because truth
is unattainable,” then my sympathetic response would be, “That must be exhausting.”
Presuming that all of our readers have crossed that bridge and concluded that Jesus is
Truth, we move forward with the question – Now What?! It is a legitimate question. If
the only truth we are to “enjoy” is Christ, then are we supposed to rejoice that our
“eternal life” ticket is punched and hold still until we pass from this world? Are we to be
aliens on this earth and hope our death goes easy, and THEN begin to LIVE because we
will be in heaven? Honestly, that is what many of us subtly embraced in our Christian
upbringing.
Dismissal of the created order and our active role in the created order is wrong and
unbiblical. How so? Christ made this earth and he redeemed this earth. So, we are to go
about the business of entering His redemptive work. Following Christ means giving
allegiance to him, and therefore embracing Him as The Truth, and then going into the
grand search for His Truth in His lovely, redeemed world.
That kind of mandate gets me excited! We are not only allowed to journey in this world
as followers of Christ, we are also called to discover truths around us. How does this
play out with children?
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What is our challenge as we begin the year as a school community?
Give them a sense of wonder and joy in learning new things about this world – that Christ
made. Paul writes in Colossians 1:16, “For by Him all things were created: things in
heaven and earth, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities, all things were
created by Him and for Him.” Give children and teens the vision that they are welcomed
into active involvement in the world around them. Engage them! Instill a sense of awe
in them!
Our Regents Crest shows “Veritas” in the top left hand corner, symbolized by a Bible and
an oil lamp. This follows the passage in Psalm 36:9, “In Thy light, we see light.” It
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means that we embrace the light of the glory of the gospel of Christ (2 Cor. 4:1-6) to
enlighten this world around us. We seek truth and we celebrate the truth we find.
In the Regents Standard (Handbook) we overtly connect truth and creation. In the section
explaining “Veritas” in the Crest is written: “Good stewardship requires that we seek to
know the truth found in God’s Word AND God’s creation. Therefore, it is not only
desirable, but also mandatory that we pursue truth in ALL fields of study, and we regard
this pursuit as a SPIRITUAL ENDEAVOR." We pray that all children, teens, teachers,
coaches, staff, board members, and vendors ALL seek to pursue truth in this way.
Everyone will receive their Regents Standards (Handbooks) with your Regents Phone
Directories at Back to School Night. I encourage you to read and reflect on the pages that
explains our Regents crest.
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