Yes, yes, yes, we know. Nobody has a corner
on the truth. Nobody possesses all the truth, all the time.
(After all, the truth is served, not possessed.) Every person
mixes "the truth" with opinion. Everybody has a certain slant on
the truth that is shaped by religious commitment (or the lack
thereof), economic status, social class, political conviction,
cultural preference, family upbringing, educational background,
geographical location, national citizenship, and on and on. As
St. Paul wrote, "For now we see in a mirror dimly, but
then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall
understand fully..." (I Corinthians 13:12, RSV, emphases added)
Yes, yes, yes, our claims to truth are
qualified, limited, and therefore humbled. We indeed see dimly
now, but still we see. And we know partially now, but
still we know. So we can talk about the truth, even if our
talk about truth should be conducted with a strong dose of
humility.
Recently, the Friday Night Movie at the
Parsonage featured "Quiz Show." As you might recall, this film
tells the story of a television, quiz-show scandal in the 1950s.
The program was a fraud. Answers to the questions, or just the
questions, were given to the contestants in advance of the live
programs. The outcomes of the TV game show were totally
controlled by the program executives. When its national ratings
soared, a winning contestant was kept to continue winning. When
its ratings began to slip, the winning contestant was told to
lose on purpose. The hero of the story was a young Harvard Law
School graduate, who worked for a Congressional oversight
committee. Sensing that some monkey business was going on in the
wildly successful television program, the young but persistent
lawyer investigated the show from top to bottom. Due to his
relentless questioning, the truth of the scandal was uncovered.
What made this movie interesting, even exciting, was the
lawyer’s dogged pursuit of the truth of what was going on, on
and off stage, at this quiz show. Therefore, "Quiz Show" is a
modern morality play of sorts.
Watching a morality play or participating in
life, most people cheer when truth is sought and served. On the
other hand, most of us cringe when truth is disregarded and
distorted.
In the Church, we have a particularly high
regard for the truth. Bishops, pastors, and lay leaders are
called to especially high standards in truthtelling with regard
to doctrine, morals, personal conversation, and church
governance.
Truthtelling in the Church is always to be
attempted with love and tact. Too often our truthtelling in the
Church is neglected so that personal and institutional
difficulties will be avoided. Bishops will neglect thorny
teaching, pastors will skirt tough preaching, and laity will not
speak unwelcome words, all to avoid difficult encounters with
others.
However, could it be that the first duty of a
bishop, a pastor, and a lay leader is to tell the truth as
lovingly and as wisely as possible?
Why should we be so concerned with the truth
in the Church? one might reasonably ask. One answer is that
Jesus Christ, who is the Truth in person, requires truthtelling
of his people. Because Jesus Christ is the Truth, his teaching
and preaching, healing and miracles, were truthful. And because
his words and deeds were truthful, the world rose up and
murdered him on the Cross. But the truth, especially God’s
Truth, cannot be silenced or eliminated. The resurrection of our
Lord demonstrates that this Truth, the source of all truth,
prevails.
So? So what?
As the People of God, as the People of the
Truth, we can and should strive to live in the truth. Yes, it is
a challenge. Yes, it is difficult. But it is a wonderful,
God-given, Son-inspired, Spirit-blessed privilege.
