"You can't handle the truth." Is that what we are being told? There was a lot of talk about truth in the news this week. It began with a breach from the government about war plans against Yemen that got accidentally leaked to a reporter. The people looked for accountability, responsibility and a rectification of the situation. The government acted like they were making a big deal out of nothing and instead of focusing on themselves, talked about the mistakes of former leaders. Then came the threat toward history and art museums - to remove their funding if they did not remove material that was divisive and might result in national shame. Is this the same system that expects us to tell "the truth, the whole truth and nothing but he truth" as a witness in court?
The Christian and the counselor within are both outraged because both know that you can't heal shame by hiding things and denying that they exist. Psychologists tell us that we have to face what is bothering us and deal with it. Jesus said that the truth would set us free. The only remedy for sin is repentance but you can't repent if you are not willing to accept what happened and take responsibility for it. Alcoholics Anonymous put it best in the fifth of their twelve steps for becoming free from Addiction: "We admitted to God, to ourselves and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs."
As a nation, there were times when we behaved shamefully. We abused and victimized others. We inflicted pain that has been passed down through the generations. The only way for that pain to be healed is for our victims to be able to tell their stories - their WHOLE stories. The only way that we can be healed is to express remorse and to ask for forgiveness. The only way for all of us to heal and to move forward is to work on ways of preventing those bad things from happening again. None of this can happen if we are forbidden for knowing the truth.
As a nation and as individuals we have to become like the man on the cross next to Jesus who said, "We indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our crimes, but this man has done nothing wrong" (Luke 23:39-41). That man did a fearless, moral inventory and admitted the exact nature of his wrongs. If we do the same, then we can say, like he, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom," and Jesus will say, "TODAY, you will be with me in paradise."
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