BY ESPOIR BYISHIMO
Listen First
The phrase “truth hurts” is used in our everyday conversations when a person says something that makes someone else uncomfortable; it is an excuse for saying something that is supposedly true but hurts the other person’s feelings. In fact, saying the truth may backfire, leading to hatred between the two parties. Once that happens, it is natural to think that minding your own business is the best thing to do. Especially for someone like me, taught as a young boy to never create “unnecessary enemies,” I often struggle with three voices: moving on, saying what the other person would like to hear, or saying what I ought to say. The story of Jeremiah demonstrates that in some instances, telling the truth might be the only option to bring happiness and freedom to the other person in the long run and/or eternally.
Truth is rare. I googled the question, “What is the rarest thing in the world?” One answer was, “a good politician with a spine of integrity.” This response appeals to our feeling that politicians can be so corrupt in their daily dealings, despite being public figures whose acts often heavily affect the masses one way or another. Like today, in Judah at Jeremiah’s time, people in high positions misused power: “the prophets prophesy [ied] lies, the priests rule[ed] by their own authority.”(Jeremiah 5:31). Strikingly, even religious leaders, often expected to hold high moral codes, were involved in dirty deeds. However, it is clear that dishonesty was not only of those in higher positions. Rather, falsehood was a common denominator in the society; wrongdoing and dishonesty ruled in every part of the society—everyone lived in the same corrupt way.
“Go up and down the streets of Jerusalem,
look around and consider,
search through her squares.
If you can find but one person
who deals honestly and seeks the truth,
I will forgive this city.” (Jeremiah 5: 1)
In this hostile setting, Jeremiah was tasked to speak the truth to the people of Judah.
“Go down to the palace of the king of Judah and proclaim this message there: Hear the word of the Lord to you, king of Judah, you who sit on David’s throne—you, your officials and your people who come through these gates. This is what the Lord says: Do what is just and right.” (Jeremiah 22:1)
Imagine how difficult it must have been for Jeremiah, a regular citizen, to correct the king. For me, it is even difficult to do so for just a friend or a classmate. We should ask why that was possible for Jeremiah. As we see in the verse above, one crucial thing is different:his message to the King was not his own but God’s. So, he was to speak what is unbiased or uninformed but only what is certain. That makes us wonder, whose authority and words we have when we speak to other people. Ours or Gods? Once we can answer those two questions, we will feel empowered to speak the truth.
Therefore thus says the Lord:
“If you return, I will restore you,
and you shall stand before me.
If you utter what is precious, and not what is worthless,
you shall be as my mouth.
They shall turn to you,
but you shall not turn to them. (Jeremiah 15: 19)
As the verse says, the work to speak what is precious starts from turning our hearts to God, listening carefully to what he has to say. Only then can we find words to speak and the power needed to proclaim those words.
Prayer
Lord, let me fix my eyes on you. My mouth and life desires to be a vessel you speak through. I return to you today. Amen.