“So then, putting away falsehood, let all of us speak the truth to our neighbors, for we are members of one another.”
- Ephesians 4:25, NRSV
“Let’s all stop lying and agree to speak the truth to each other. Because we belong to each other.”
- God’s Words, My Voice (GWMV)
This past Sunday’s reading from the Letter to the Ephesians got my attention, and it resonated with others as well. The version from GWMV is what we read at the blended service in All Saints’ Hall. I like how direct and non-churchy it is.
The focus of the passage (Ephesians 4:25 – 5:2) is about how we are to live into the future, but predicated on a sure foundation: God’s promises from the past. How we live today, tomorrow, and beyond is our response to the grace, mercy, and love that God has shown us time and again. Our baptismal vows remind us that we are “marked as Christ’s own forever,” and that we are called to “respect the dignity of every human being.” Every human being, not just the ones we choose to call friend or neighbor or family. Why? Because, as the GWMV puts it, we belong to each other.
This passage got my attention because it feels to me that our culture has reached a point where people often feel free to say whatever we want, no matter the consequences. No matter whether we have verified the veracity of something we are passing along on social media. No matter what harm it might do to relationships. No matter if it takes attacking the character of our ‘opponent’ or bending the data to fit our needs. I think P.T. Barnum is credited with saying, “If you say it often enough and loud enough, people will start to believe you.” As Christians, we face a challenge and an opportunity to speak the truth because we belong to each other, we are members of one another.
Socrates, who lived about 500 years before both Jesus Christ and the author of the Letter to the Ephesians, said that before we speak, we should ask ourselves three questions: Is it true? Is it kind? Is it necessary/helpful?
I think both Jesus and the writer of Ephesians would agree. We can still disagree with someone without castigating them to outer darkness. We can enter into conversation with a heart open to becoming less rigid in our perspective. We can truly listen without already considering how we’re going to respond while the other person is still speaking. Even when we don’t see eye to eye, we can still see heart to heart. This world, this country, this city need our witness as Christians that truth matters.
John Inazu, the Sally D. Danforth Distinguished Professor of Law and Religion at Washington University will be the Faith Forum guest on Sunday, October 6 at 10 am in All Saints’ Hall. He is the author of Learning to Disagree: The Surprising Path to Navigating Differences with Empathy and Respect. Join us for a series of book discussions on Wednesdays August 28, September 25, and October 9 at 7 pm in St. Francis A.
May we all be able to feel more connected while still maintaining the strength of our convictions and our faith. +