I think it was Jack Welch, the former CEO of GE who said, “the kindest form of leadership is the truth.” I’ve thought a lot about that statement. As Christians we/I seem to have an overwhelming desire to want to be nice at the expense of the truth. It seems to me that we think that avoiding the truth is somehow more gracious, more loving than speaking the truth. In reflecting on my own aversion to speaking truth I have come to believe that avoid speaking truth to each other is not kind it is selfish. It is not that I want to help you avoid pain, the truth is that I want to avoid pain.
The apostle Paul said, ”So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.” Ephesians 4:25 (NLT). In other words if you really care for each other you will speak truth. You will be gracious, clean up your messes but you will speak truth. No more dancing around the truth, no more “white lies” for the sake of “peace” which is really pseudo-peace. Just the truth.
I’m spending this week at a cabin just outside of Inveremere, BC seeking God’s truth for my life and for our church. I’m reading, reflecting, writing, walking, listening and praying. I need God’s truth and nothing but his truth in my life. I can’t speak truth if I can’t see and hear the truth which means I need to focus on Jesus because he is the truth. Ironic ins’t it that truth is a person–Jesus. I can’t speak truth if I don’t know him because I won’t recognise the truth. So, if you want to know truth you need to cultivate your relationship with the Truth.
If we have a relationship with the Truth (Jesus) and we see people like he does then we speak truth because Jesus’ love has filled us and we truly want the best for those we speak truth to. Instead of protecting our feelings we get over ourselves to serve others with the kindness of the truth. Often we can see waht is truth, what needs to be said but we live in fear of the repercussions of speaking the truth. We love ourselves so much that we won’t risk discomfort for the sake of others. Self-preservation combined with Canadian political correctness make for shallow relationships and empty community. Ironically we then lose the very thing we hope for–authentic community.
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