Odd of God

A major matter in the analyses and practices of daily human life relates to direction which an idea or conduct may indicate.  If it indicates an improvement in principle or conduct it is likely that the factor is to be followed forward to the end, not only for the education of the persons in a context, but to advance the quality of life.  If the indication is negative, the context needs some amendment, perhaps avoidance.  In the affirmative meaning, the overarching value is righteousness.  Righteousness grows out of the holiness of God, made applicable and practical in an imperfect world.  The holiness of God never changes, and the righteousness he offers to mankind should be regarded as set in any generation to be managed by God’s children with spiritual direction.  The issues related to righteousness may become so great that persons may risk incarceration, even death, for faithfulness to the principles of God for mankind.  Generally the issues are not highly dramatic or demanding, but they are important in daily life.  In a pedestrian definition of righteousness, the meaning is simply that this belief or conduct is the right one for the context.

For our purpose here we will consider the matter of truth and falsity.  The general culture tends to support and approve white lies.  In language this is an oxymoron in that white lies indicate good and other lies indicate bad.  It means there is good/bad in the context referred to.  A person may make a false statement (bad) to accomplish a pleasant outcome (good).  In an article taken from a magazine owned by a person highly regarded for faith and right, the introductory statements include: The truth sets us free, but not all situations demand the same openness.  On the same page the sub-topic introduction states: A Little Right Lie, and that followed by the paragraph, Honesty is the best policy . . . except when it isn’t.  Here’s how to know when to fess up, when to keep mum, and when to lie through your teeth.  The article is, in fact, nearly all supportive of truth-telling, and the consequences of falsity negative to self and relationships.  It supports telling lies to dictators, if you are in a dungeon and the lie gets you out, or in some similar distress you escape because the enemy of good has put you there.  How often does that occur?  And if it did, would I respond with silence as Jesus did, or as implied in the experiences of the Apostle Paul and other Christians, like Stephen?  If Nelson Mandela had lied to his captors in South Africa, he would have been released, and never would have become the Prime Minister to serve a nation ending apartheid, a denial of freedom his captivity of years helped significantly to end.  The truth teller in the dungeon stood for something heroic in the integrity of self and rights.  (Even though I don’t believe in white lies, I might have written a better section in the article in defense of them in the light of general culture, and tendency to relieve immediate life tensions.)  The insights of the author to never to lie to ourselves are excellent, and discovery in the power of truth in nearly all the experiences of life is highly commendable, making the story for integrity.

What is the answer, to please not only ourselves but God in our faithful management of truth?  We assume the wisdom of truth as an abiding factor in our lives.  So we tell it and live it.  Sometimes it is told with firmness, as in the courtroom where a person swears to truth, something that even God did in the court of heaven.  Not only could he not lie, but took an oath to his word – something that gives force to the doubter and doubly enforces the word of the persons.  To fail the oath makes a violator of the person, subject to law and punishment.  One may avoid communicating falsehood by remaining silent, or even remain silent so to accent truth and align oneself to truth that ultimately succeeds in the course of events.  Jesus remained silent when challenged about the truth about him so to accent what had been said.  The key, of course is to manage even truth with love and compassion.  How do parents tell a child with fatal cancer that he or she will die?  How does a mate tell a mate that he or she has been unfaithful?  How does the teacher tell the student that he or she will not qualify for this or that?  The list grows long in the day by day lives of the masses.  It is told in truth without judgment, with an attitude of empathy, with evaluation of what may be done relating to courage.  For the Christian it includes prayer and faith.  Truth shaved will nick us.