The whole truth

People sometimes play games with the truth: “white lies,” “mental reservations,” “spin,” and “marketing.” One common element in these games is that we do not tell the whole truth: we choose and we tell only the parts of the truth that will either get the results we want or avoid trouble we do not want.

To be sure, not every utterance we make can be as comprehensive as a doctoral dissertation, and there can be legitimate and serious reasons to withhold information, but the occasions in which we tell the pre-selected truth need to be exceptions - and the rarer the better.

Today’s readings feature two truth-tellers who face serious rejection: the prophet Jeremiah and our Lord Himself. If we ourselves were facing those situations, we might be tempted to hold back anything that might be controversial and just say the things that keep everyone happy. But that is not what our Lord and Jeremiah do and it is not what God wants either.

“Whatever I command you, tell them, and omit nothing.”

Again, one should be prudent. In most cases, it is not the most effective pedagogy to start with the things that would be hardest for the listener to understand (keep in mind God’s revelation is oriented toward salvation – we want people to accept the Gospel), but one cannot dance around the truth forever nor should one risk the integrity of the message or the messenger.

Be faithful to the mission of salvation.
Be faithful to the message - in its totality.
Be faithful to Christ.