…”do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, so help you God?”
Whether you’ve ever given sworn, legal testimony or not you’ve probably heard those words. Sounds redundant but there’s power in redundancy at times. It is important to tell the truth, leaving nothing out and adding nothing to it….
We in the church could learn a lot from this. Too often we fall short of providing the whole truth because… 1. we feel weird; 2. we don’t think it is important, 3. we don’t want to sound like we are selling something, 4. we don’t want to offend, 5. we don’t recognize and live in the whole truth…etc.
Quick illustration: when (not if 
) you serve in the community and someone asks you why, what do you say? Do you say it is because it is the right thing to do? That is true. Do you say it is because you love people? That is true. Do you say it is because you believe we should all serve the community? That is true. All of these reasons are true…but are they the whole truth? If you are a follower of Christ, don’t you serve because Jesus first served you? Don’t you serve because as a follower of Christ Jesus asks you to love your community and serve those in it? Isn’t the WHOLE truth more like this:
Q: “why are you serving?”
A: “well we are doing this project because we love people and this community and we want to serve. We believe that Jesus calls us to love and care for this city and serve our neighbors. He does that for us..He loves us and serves us and Jesus wants me to be here to serve you today. Serving you is a big part of what means to follow Christ. That’s why I am here.”
…that is the truth, the WHOLE truth, and nothing but the truth. It isn’t dramatic or hyperboloic. It is sharing the Gospel in word and deed. I pray that we quit being so darned covert … let’s serve and let’s tell people why…it isn’t because we are such great people it is because we serve a loving and caring God who loves us and serves us and calls us to do the same. Let’s set the record straight about who Jesus is and what His people look like. We can only do this by telling the whole truth.
I appreciate your perspective. I’d like to share my heart in this…Maybe other people have had similar experiences…maybe not.
I must say in the past couple of years especially…there were many times (and are still many times) when I’ve been asked that exact question regarding the ‘why’ behind my actions. I rarely choose to give an overtly christian testimony about why I am there…or why I am serving…Speaking the whole truth now…it never felt authentic…it always felt contrived and superficial for me…like a rehersed line. Even if it was the whole truth.
Today, the whole truth is I serve because I love and follow the way of Jesus…and it has been completely liberating for me to not feel obligated to to provide this ‘whole truth’ verbally especially in certain contexts.
So many times I’ve been the recipient of other people’s “whole truth” and its made me feel objectified…like they really were doing or saying what they were saying to sign me up for a cause…or get me in their down line…or into the doors of their church.
I love the statement preach the gospel and when necessary use words.
Shane Claiborne…when asked “are you a Christian”…responded ” Why don’t you tell me what you SEE”
Sometimes I speak the whole truth verbally and other times I just want to live it.
I hear you. But, I think that saying the name of Jesus is something we don’t do near enough and as a result His name is associated with those doing or saying unBiblical things and tacking Christ onto their movement. Wouldn’t it be great to have Jesus’ name associated with people who love Him and love people and serve in His name and in His ways?
As for the St. Francis of Assisi quote: “preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary use words.” I applaud the heart behind it; it was a reaction to years of inactivity of the church … talk and no action. Let me say again, I agree with it on one level…but, if you aren’t saying the name of Jesus you may as well just be like anyone else serving the community and there are tons of great service oriented organizations out there. It is great to serve, but it isn’t enough …
The church has to be the church…living the life and speaking the word. not brashly, not arrogantly, not inauthetically but with grace and love; purely motivated by love for people and flowing from the love of Christ.
Can you imagine the ministry of the Apostles without them proclaiming the name of Jesus? That would make the Bible an entirely different book than the one we have…they loved and served and spoke. When done together with a pure heart it is a beautiful thing and so desperately needed…
I agree with you…and I am probably more sensitive to the idea than most Christ followers.
I think it has more to do with the devistation I’ve gone thru in the past 2 year, my complete disappointment with the church…and the paradigm shift in my world related to that.
As much as I believe that Jesus motivates my action…I’ve seen his name…like you mentioned above…attached to all kinds of embarasssment and crap…and it makes me uncomfortable to possibly be connected to that.
I completely see your point…and as far as St Francis’ observation about lip service vs action…I see not a lot has changed in so many ways.
It is important for people to know authenticity and love in Christ…and I think it’s also important to remember that all of the evangelism in the world can be completely undone with a few careless acts and thoughtless words when we think no one is looking.
Beloved…let us love one another…for love is of God and ‘everyone’ who loves is born of God and knows God…he that does not love does not know God…I find comfort in this as well.
I dig what you are doing in the city!
Peace
Addressing the comments closer to the beginning of the entry about telling half truths …
Historically, I’ve been guarded with the truth, because of my belief that most people can not handle the whole truth. I’ve seen this play out to be true. Not that this justifies any incomplete revelations, but I’ve just been very aware for a long time that everyone can not handle everything.
Sometimes including myself.
i hear you … sometimes people cannot “handle the truth”… I think you stole that line! ; )
Still, going to the point about serving in the name of Christ…I think it is time to associate His name with the good that is done in His name; until we act as He would act and consistently give Him the credit for it, we’ll be left with the “hypocrite” label. True, the church has earned this moniker but I think she is ready to shed it…
Yeah, not giving Christ credit for what He has done has allowed people to give credit to others for His work – including themselves, us, other gods, etc.