Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices. – Colossians 3:9

Today's Scripture Reading (April 18, 2021): Colossians 3

Mark Twain famously remarked that "if you tell the truth, you don't have to remember anything." Of course, the humorist had a struggle with the truth himself; he also argued that you should "never tell the truth to people who are not worthy of it." A friend of mine is unsure that the truth exists, and I admit that that sometimes frustrates me. If there is no truth, then there can be no communication. We need the truth if we are going to have any chance of building relationships with each other.

But I will agree that the truth is rarely a simple thing. Just as an objective point of view is a fable told by news organizations to hide their bias, the truth available to us is often incomplete. In a culture filled with conspiracy theories, where lies are admittedly told regularly, we sometimes have to work hard for the truth. But the truth is always worth the effort, and when the misinformed tell us something that is not true, we need to be committed to respond gently with grace.

Paul tells the Colossians that we should be people of the truth. In everything, big and small, they should simply tell the truth. Some have made much of Paul adding the words "to each other" to his encouragement, arguing that we should tell other Christians the truth but that lies are quite permissible to outsiders. The Ten Commandments also places a limit on truth-telling by saying that "You shall not give false testimony 'against your neighbor'" (Exodus 20:16).

But limiting our truth-telling doesn't quite make sense. The reality of both of those assertions is that we are most likely to lie to our friends, often because we are afraid of how they might react to some of our ugly confessions. And if we are willing to lie on one thing, we are ready to lie about anything. And if we are willing to lie about one aspect of our faith, then what part of our faith testimony can be trusted.

The problem that we face is that the truth often exposes our weak points. Lies reveal the places where we are struggling and the places where our faith does not shine. And the reality is that we have to decide whether we are willing to be honest and vulnerable in the weak areas of life.

I have decided to be a truth-teller. But beyond that, I have also decided to believe that you and everyone else around me are truth-tellers as well. Because truth is the foundation of authentic communication. And we need to communicate with each other, regardless if you are a supporter or a detractor, so that means that we need the truth everywhere that we go.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Colossians 4