Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote: “God offers to every mind its choice between truth and repose. Take which you please - you can never have both.”
The pursuit of knowledge and a quiet conscience cannot co-exist. A mind in pursuit of truth must also be open to what that truth might ask of him. As anyone who follows the daily news knows, if one wants a tranquil spirit then they must shield their eyes from the world.
In the choice between truth and repose, the public servant must choose truth, and with truth, we must also choose action.
May it be the will of our Creator that we not be satisfied in taking the easy path, but rather, may the Holy One help our spirits find fulfillment in the pursuit of truth in both our hearts and our deeds. May this be God’s will--AMEN.
