Attempts at Honesty

Reflections on the interplay of the Bible and Culture

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Character, darkness and secrets revealed

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Character needs no mask
Photo by Ben Fredericson via Flickr

I’ve heard it said that character is doing the right thing when no-one is looking. A man of character does not need to defend his reputation; he does not need an image consultant. He is what he is and eventually the truth will come out. Jesus told his disciples,

“Therefore do not fear them, for there is nothing concealed that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in you ear, proclaim upon the housetops.” (Matthew 10:26-27)

The follower of Christ who does the right thing and gets persecuted or defamed as a result, need not worry about what people think if he is right before God. God will defend his reputation. What is hidden will be revealed and the truth will triumph.

Sometimes doing the right thing will be misunderstood. Sometimes doing the right thing opens you up to attack from someone who sees it as weakness. Sometimes doing the right thing opens you up to attack by one who has something that he is trying to hide. Sometimes when you do the right thing people will misunderstand or misrepresent your motives. Sometimes doing the right thing is downright difficult.

But we have no other option than to do the right thing. To do it, we must maintain an eternal perspective. Paul reminds the Galatians that there is nothing that happens that falls outside of God’s observation. He writes in Galatians 6:7, “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, this he will also reap.”

I am reminded of a verse in the old hymn, “Who is on the Lord’s Side?”:

Fierce may be the conflict,
Strong may be the foe,
But the King’s own army
None can overthrow.
Round His standard ranging
Victory is secure,
For His truth unchanging
Makes the triumph sure.

You and I are responsible for being obedient to what God has called us to do. We must do the right thing. God has taken on the responsibility for bringing about the triumph of the truth.

The outcome is sure if we stay the course.

Attempts at Honesty at FaithVillage

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Two posts from Attempts at Honesty have recently been published at FaithVillage.com. You can check them out by following these links:

The Danger of Relying on Talent

Grumbling, Grace and Edification

While you’re there check out the other resources that are available at FaithVillage.

An ordinary guy involved in extraordinary things

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Joseph's Dream
Dream of Joseph (Wikipedia)

He is described as a just man but we know little else about him. He loved his fiancée and was dismayed when he found out that she was pregnant, knowing that the baby was not his. Because of his love for the young woman, he decided to quietly walk away rather than make a big scene. It was a difficult decision, but to divorce Mary was Joseph’s only right choice. She had betrayed him, so he thought.

How many times do we think that we understand a situation in which we find ourselves only to find out that we don’t have all the facts? Fortunately, an angel came to Joseph to give him the missing details so that he could make a better decision.

The angel told Joseph “do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife” (Matthew 1:20). It is normal for an angel to begin his message with “do not be afraid” which carries the sense of stop being afraid. The normal usage is a present tense command. Here, the angel doesn’t use an imperative (command) nor does he use the present tense. When the angel tells Joseph to avoid fear, his words convey the sense of “never be afraid to take Mary as your wife.”

Most of the time when the angel says “do not fear,” the angel is the source of fear and it is of short duration once the person receiving the message comes to grips with the fact that a supernatural being is speaking with him.

In the case of Joseph, the source of fear is the pregnancy of Mary. Until the end of his life, Joseph would have to deal with the wagging tongues of the gossips in the area. The normal length of time from conception to birth was just as well known then as it is now. When Jesus would be born, the gossips would figure out that from the time of the wedding celebration to the time of birth was a month or two short. People would naturally assume that Mary was not pure prior to her wedding.

We know how cruel people can be in what they say. We know how gossip spreads and makes life difficult for the subject of the gossip. Joseph would have to deal with this for the rest of his life. He would have to draw strength from the encouragement of the angel. He would have to push through the fear and not second guess his decision.

Joseph followed the angel’s instruction and went through with the wedding and became the adopted father of Jesus. We know little else about him except that he put down his fear and did the right thing and continued doing the right thing even when it was difficult.

By definition most of us, like Joseph, are ordinary. We are not the smartest, best looking or most talented people around. But the example of Joseph tells us that by being obedient and doing the right thing, even when it is difficult, we can be used by God to accomplish extraordinary things.

So get out there and be ordinary.

Truth – the antidote to shame

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Shame on youIn yet another attempt at trapping Jesus in something he said, the Scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery. The story is recorded in John 8:1-11, where we are told that she was caught in the very act. I doubt that they gave her time to dress and make herself presentable before dragging her off to this impromptu court date. There she stands partially dressed and alone with the shame of her immorality on display.

Jesus, aware of the injustice of the situation, responds with grace by saying “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her” (John 8:7). All her accusers, perhaps including her partner in adultery, slink away to avoid further confrontation with Jesus.

The woman still stands alone, but Jesus offers her hope by saying, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”

Jesus used the truth as the antidote to shame.

What is the truth that proved to be the antidote? That truth was that, with the exception of Jesus, everyone involved in this sordid event were sinners, not just the woman. Jesus acknowledged this truth and then gave the woman the opportunity to change and be different.

Jesus tells us that truth is the path to freedom (John 8:32). As with the woman caught in adultery, acknowledging sin is the first step to finding freedom from it. Ignoring the sin does a disservice to everyone involved.

While we love this story and the freedom it should bring, in some churches shame maintains a prominent role in the church culture. People trapped in such a church are afraid to speak the truth and hide in their shame. In this culture, shame is used as a weapon to force people into a superficial perfection. Everyone feels the pressure to give the appearance of having it all together. In such an environment, real growth is difficult.

A shame-based church culture can also pressure people into conformity to a false sense of unity. Unity is different than uniformity. We are not called to uniformity. We are not called to be all the same and see things the same way. God made us all different and we need each other to be different, including our opinions on how things should be. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 12 that for the church to be healthy all the gifts of all the believers must be operating together.

If there are questions that cannot be asked or if there are people that are above questioning, then truth is not operational. When people who raise questions or make suggestions are labeled as trouble-makers, then truth is not operational. When people are asked to suppress their gifts for the sake of “unity” then the truth is not operational. When people, whether they stay or go, are shamed into silence, then truth is not operational.

No-one enjoys being confronted on sin or shortcomings. No-one likes to hear that the way he is behaving or leading is not perfect or is not having the desired result. Even though it may be uncomfortable, we must strive to maintain a culture where it is mandatory that truth wins out. It is incumbent upon church leaders to create this culture of openness and honesty. If you are a leader and you are not asking for this type of feedback, then you need to do some honest assessment.

Let the truth win out. Shame has no power when the truth of the Gospel is shined upon it.

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