Speaking the Truth
The Lord is preparing us for persecution. In this time of darkness, those who speak
the truth will be persecuted and misunderstood. Are we ready? That’s why we have
to crucify ourselves, because, as long as we are attached to our reputations, to being
affirmed and liked, we are not going to speak the truth; we will not
risk being misunderstood and persecuted.
Community, Love Crucified. Teaching Manual
Love Crucified 2020 (p. 65). Kindle Edition.
In this essay, I explore the necessity of speaking the truth with compassion and self-awareness, even in the face of persecution. I have often heard from people, including fellow Christians, that they always tell the truth as they see it. In practicing that point of view, I find that when this is done, it often looks like they have some anger issues that they are trying to get rid of. Furthermore, speaking the truth in anger does no good since it comes from a place of simply judging others who are different, or who are actually entrapped by the same compulsions and sins.
There is a saying, “Each saint had a past, and each sinner has a future.” Speaking the truth out of a place of love is not manipulative, nor condescending. If I am not open to the truth that others confront me with, I cannot expect others to listen to me. Anger feeds off fear and lacks trust in God’s saving grace in all lives.
We can only truly speak truth if we have the compassion to face our own humanity and our experience of God’s mercy and love for us. We have to be vulnerable to the truth about ourselves, hence the importance of self-knowledge. Self-knowledge is essential if we want to make a difference in other people’s lives. Without it, we are simply empty drums.
Yes, speaking the truth, even in love, can lead to being hated or feared. To understand that, all we need to do is remember the times when we were confronted with truth and how we responded. Yet in the long run, it is truth that will set us free. We all have a past and future; let us be careful that in speaking truth it is to help others, and not to express our anger or self-righteousness. Jesus always saw the potential in those he called, even if they had many rough edges and even sins. When others feel ‘seen’ when challenged, they are often more open to the truth in what is being presented to them.
When we put on the Mind-Of-Christ, we find ourselves moving in the direction of compassion and empathy, since we are no different than others. It is our openness to grace that makes the difference. We cannot read the hearts of others, nor do we know their past or future. It is God who sees all, and because of that, He has infinite patience for all of us. So, we must speak with gentleness, love, and compassion.-Br.MD
