Deadly Truth
Feb 19th, 2008 by John
Deadly Truth
by
John W Frye
My ears heard right words,
Truth was told.
Yet my heart was blasted open,
My spirit ducked for cover.
The voice convinced of rightness
Felt so very wrong to me.
What if truth spoken without love
Is the greatest lie of all?
What if certainty offered hatefully
Is quicksand after all?
Did Jesus once dismiss the Bible quoter
As the very devil himself?
Suppose our hearts can twist
Saving truth into a damning words
Even as they leave our mouths.
What if truth spoken without love
is the greatest lie of all?
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John,
Amen!! The devil himself spoke truth in the desert, but he twisted it into lies. Sometimes I wish that I could hit a button and all the voices that speak truth without love would literally be transformed into the sound of a bell clanging. Of course, then I start to wonder how often my voice would be transformed…
Awesome post.
Even though we are ‘neighbors’ I found your blog through a cross-country journey in the blogosphere. I’m glad I did, I enjoy it very much.
I meet with a couple of guys to do a brief Bible study and to pray on Tuesday nights. Your poem got snagged on a corner of my heart yesterday. As I continued to ponder its message, I was led to think about what Jesus said to His disciples in Matthew 23; “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.” (vs. 1-3)
And later to the leaders; “You shut the Kingdom of heaven in men’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.” (vs. 13, 14)
I hada greatthought for our little evening study. I asked the two men that if the Pharisees who taught the law were regarded by their culture as the people who best kept the law, then what in the world was Jesus talking about here? The conversation was quite animated. Then I gave them a copy of this poem - and everything became clear. Thanks for giving a twist to a scriptural truth that brings such fresh clarity.
Ken,
Thanks for informing me about how the “poem” complemented your Bible study with the men. I am encouraged by your comments. I visited your web site and you have some very wise posting there. Keep up the good work.
Amen brother.
Amen.
Preacherman,
I second those “amens”
It seems that many who “preach the truth” but do so without love try to justify themselves by saying that the fact that they are telling truth is showing love, no matter how they proclaim it.
Fred,
I have actually heard that rationale. And it is true that truth-telling is an act of love, but there are some who think that their “right” doctrines and their views are a license to be mean-spirited or actually mean. Even after the salvo of woes in Matt 23, Jesus yearns in love for Jerusalem to repent. His woes were not mean or mean-spirited. I am sickened by the so-called watch-dogs of the church who are undeniably vitriolic and mask it as “contending for the faith once and for all delivered to the saints…”
John,
I grew up in circles where that thinking was the norm. I’m as sick of it as you are. Jesus never said the world would know we are his disciples by our aggressive proclamation of “the truth” and our attacks on anyone who doesn’t see things as we do.
Amen! The greatest truth in the world if told without love can be amazingly destructive and incredibly godless. Thanks for this challenging thought. I will once again be trying to not sound like a clanging cymbal.
Fred,
Bingo! Only as we keep fascinated with Jesus and follow courageously His Way will we get out of the mess the spouting/yelling “right doctrine” crowd has created. I appreciate your comments.
You inspired me to reply with a poem as well
Truth must be told
Best done with love
Better to release then to hold
But what of truth hand in hand with lies?
Tainted confessions
Told with “good intentions”
and spiteful looks in their eyes
Who’s truth are you telling?
His wouldn’t sound so
When truth told without love
Is all you know,
What direction would you be running?
Willingly into His arms would you go?
Help me Lord to know what to say
When confronted with questions I can’t always reply
Help me to know that,
Truth without love
Is
Truly
A lie
John,
— poem. I am glad to read it, for it is so much of what I long for … those who will see that truth without love — and I mean love for the other being given the truth, not self or the truth or even God — is sin.
Thanks for this touching — or is that touche-ing
Appreciate you, brother.
Stephanie…great poetic reply!
Stephanie,
I am stunned into silence. What a great companion poem to “Deadly Truth.” I agree with Peggy…”great poetic reply.”
Peggy (#10),
I confess I have a worry that those who are loveless truth-tellers will think we are the “sinful” ones when we believe they are the ones who have left the Jesus Way. These are truly weighty matters. Thanks so much for your comment.
John,
I hope you have a blessed weekend brother.
Joshua (comments #1 and #9),
For some reason your comments came in as ’spam.’ I just found them and de-spammed them. Sorry.
Your comments are right on target, and I am encouraged that you are grappling with the question–can our own words of “truth” come out as lies when spoken without love? This is serious business.
Preacherman (#16),
Thanks. May God bless you as well. Peace.
Why not the BRIGHT SHINING TRUTH instead.
Sue,
I can’t tell if you’re just trying to be funny or not. I don’t think “bright, shining” are the correct words for the “truth” in this free verse. So help me understand your comment.
John