When truth is being spoken it is hard to only hear what you want to hear. Truth has a way of speaking directly to the soul even when the mind has tried to dull the hearing.
There are many conversations seeking a hearing. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) has been giving voice to residential school survivors. The community of LGBTQ, their family and friends have been asking for the church to listen in our national church’s Being a Faithful Church process. People concerned for the health of the earth and its environment are seeking a serious consideration from the church. These emotional conversations sink into the heart where voices cannot be easily muffled. It seems simpler to shut out what is being said. It is often the preferred option.
Not many delight in confrontations. Not many welcome being challenged. It feels easier to avoid tough conversations. It feels easier to ignore the dialogue.
But avoidance takes as much energy as engagement. Denial takes as much energy as acknowledgement. Resistance is as difficult as acceptance.
When truth is being revealed it takes work to remain uninformed. When facts become evident it takes work to maintain disbelief. It is not easy to pretend ignorance.
I have listened to hearts express pain so raw that my mind begs to stop listening. My emotions beg for distance. It takes energy to remain open and vulnerable so that what is being spoken can penetrate me deeply. But it takes just as much energy to deny a fair hearing to what is being said.
When the deep conversations of the heart emerge, a fight ensues. In fact, it would appear fighting is not optional: either we fight to remain uninformed, or we fight in support of the new information. .
I have come to realize that difficult truths are a friend of God. Revelation is a result of the Spirit’s work. I'd rather fight apathy than struggle against the Spirit of God. Confronting the truth is not easy, but it has the potential of setting you free.
This is a fight even a pacifist should not avoid.
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