Veritas Caput

Veritas Caput

Judy and I recently returned from a vacation on the Mississippi River with friends. My brother, a veteran of river navigation, made all the arrangements and rented a sixty-foot houseboat. By the time we arrived, thunderstorms had raised the river five feet. With the high water and cool, windy weather we had to make daily adjustments to our schedule.

 Although this was my third houseboat trip, I still had much to learn about the ways of the river. The challenge of locks and dams, ever changing currents, channel markers and river barges made for “on the job” training for this lover of the mountains. The autumn colors, soaring bald eagles and quaint river towns were a smorgasbord for the eyes.

I learned some facts about this river. It is the fourth longest river in the world. Much of our history is connected to this “backbone of America.” Many explorers travelled these waters trapping beavers, encountering Native American tribes and searching for the river’s source. After several explorations, Henry Schoolcraft found the headwaters in what is now north-central Minnesota. He gave it the name ITASCA by combining parts of two Latin words “ver/itas ca/put” translated “true head.”

To really know the nature of things, it is important to discover their source. Just like the Mississippi, which provides life-giving water to much of our country, it is crucial to know the source of our own life. Here's what the Bible has to say about that: “Jesus says: ‘I am the Road, also the Truth, also the Life. No one gets to the Father apart from me. If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him. You've even seen him.’

Do you know the source of Life?