Speaking Our Truth

 It’s freeing to speak our own truth.

It’s empowering to take off our filter and just shoot straight from the hip.

And shooting is very often what happens,

Because unfiltered words, more often than not, end up as weapons.

 

We make fun of people.

We talk down to people.

We insult people.

We blame people.

 

We take harsh, us-against-them stances against people.

We place ourselves in positions of power.

We deem ourselves superior to all others.

We call people names.

 

We shoot our word-weapons when we are enraged or despondent.

We shoot when we’re not thinking of, or don’t care about, consequences.

We shoot to get a rise from those who are listening.  

We shoot, quite simply, to make people laugh.

 

While it hurts, quite literally, to stay quiet when enraged or despondent;

While it is difficult to think through the consequences of our actions;

While it is less-invigorating to not aim for a rise from our audience;

While it is not as fun to refrain from saying mean things to make people laugh;

 

Maybe we SHOULD be more careful with our words.

Maybe we SHOULD leave some things unsaid.

Maybe we SHOULD allow some personal truths to remain in the confines of safety rather than the public’s eyes.

Maybe we SHOULD be more careful not to activate and normalize the dark impulses of the mind—both conscious and unconscious—by allowing some things to remain quiet.

 

We are free.  Yes.

Especially as white Americans, we are free.

We have the ability to exercise that freedom with our words.

We have the opportunity to demonstrate that freedom through our actions.

 

But we are free in Christ, too.

And freedom in Christ doesn’t trump Christ’s command to love God first,

And to love our neighbor as ourselves second.

Freedom in Christ doesn’t free us to shoot straight from the hip.

 

So today I pray that we will know when to speak and when to remain silent.

I pray that we will know how to speak our truth in ways that are freeing for us but not damning for others.

I pray that we will know and remember God’s ultimate truths for life and

I pray that we will not get hung up on issues that change with time, circumstance, and culture.

 

God: Life is difficult. Knowing you and living into the fullness of who you’ve called us to be is difficult. Searching out truth and speaking truth and not being a stumbling block is difficult. And yet. You Are. Help us to see You—to truly see You—as much as You can show of yourself—and help us to have the courage to follow you—even when it’s hard and goes against all human inclination—even when we must admit that we’ve been wrong and that we need forgiveness. Forgive us, God. Restore us. And open our eyes that we might see. Amen.