This week, the press has been nervously pointing out how fragile our new government is. I was so frustrated to hear Helen Zille's provocative remarks in a recent interview - I found myself wondering if the perceived arrogance of her position was going to derail this hopeful thing that was taking shape in South Africa.
On reflection though, in any relationship that is going to go the distance, it is healthier to speak out our true feelings, rather than pretend that everything is fine. Yes, we should be wise when we choose our words and the forum for airing our grievances, but ultimately, truth does set us free. And truth, even difficult truth, builds trust. The alternative is to live in a world where we are constantly speculating about people's motives and we never really know where we stand with others.
We are also encouraged to speak truth in the Church - even when it is difficult to say or hear. In the book of Ephesians, our ability to "speak the truth in love" is described as a sign of our maturity - as we "grow to become in every respect the mature body of ... Christ" (Eph 4:15).
While we are invited to speak our minds, the letter to the Ephesians also reminds us that we are not to "let any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs" (Eph 4:29) It hardly needs to be said, but there is absolutely no place for the racist hate speech that has also been reported in the media this week. As the people of God, we are all called to confront such language wherever we may encounter it.
On reflection though, in any relationship that is going to go the distance, it is healthier to speak out our true feelings, rather than pretend that everything is fine. Yes, we should be wise when we choose our words and the forum for airing our grievances, but ultimately, truth does set us free. And truth, even difficult truth, builds trust. The alternative is to live in a world where we are constantly speculating about people's motives and we never really know where we stand with others.
We are also encouraged to speak truth in the Church - even when it is difficult to say or hear. In the book of Ephesians, our ability to "speak the truth in love" is described as a sign of our maturity - as we "grow to become in every respect the mature body of ... Christ" (Eph 4:15).
While we are invited to speak our minds, the letter to the Ephesians also reminds us that we are not to "let any unwholesome talk come out of our mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs" (Eph 4:29) It hardly needs to be said, but there is absolutely no place for the racist hate speech that has also been reported in the media this week. As the people of God, we are all called to confront such language wherever we may encounter it.