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Lord! Make truth the most cherished cause
for us to live and die for. If life, wealth, honour and
freedom of expression are under threat, give us the strength
to raise our voice against the aggressors. If people are
persecuted and tortured for adhering to the truth, bless us
with the courage to defend them. If people jeer and make fun
of us for upholding the truth, instil in us the patience to
politely smile back at them.
Lord! Make us true seekers of the truth.
Make us possessed and obsessed with this undertaking. Make
this quest and yearning burn in us till our last breath. Let
not anything stop or discourage us when the chips are down and
there is darkness all around. Let not the love of a near one
overcome us into giving false testimony. Even if our life is
at stake, make love for the truth conquer the fear of death.
If seeking the truth inflicts us with worldly failures, make
us patient, persistent and consistent to keep going.
Lord! Make us understand that it is the
effort undertaken for truth as a cause and the struggle to
seek the truth that counts – regardless of the consequences.
Lord! Make us live according to what you
have declared to be true. Make us forget our own will and make
us walk the path of the truth marked by you.
Lord! Let there be people like Socrates
among us who drink hemlock for inciting the youth to seek the
truth. Let there be people among us like Ahmad ibn Hanbal who
in spite of severe physical torture never bend down against
the voice of their conscience. Let there be people among us
like Galileo who stand for the truth and bear religious
persecution.
Let there be people among us who feel the
desire to seek the truth burn even more within them with
advancing years – who continue this fascinating voyage
undaunted and unruffled as long as their eyes can see, ears
can hear and minds can ponder:
O Truth!
Thou art crafty and elusive
Thy quest never conclusive
Restless and agitated
We continue unabated
To seek and savour thee
Relish and revere thee
Wherever thou be
Wherever thou be
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