Speaking the Truth in Love
Moses, fresh from his forty-day encounter with God on Mount Sinai, descended with the tablets of stone bearing the ten commandments. These were to be the foundational pillars on which the entire law was established. The eighth commandment reads, “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbour.” In simple layman’s terms, God was saying, “Speak the truth.” Jesus never once contradicted the terms of the commandments. He stated that He had not come to destroy the law but to fulfill it.
We live in a world of mistruths disseminated by unscrupulous people across all available social media platforms. It is done to destabilize and confuse people. Some suggest that up to 70% of the stories appearing in social media feeds are generated by AI and are spurious or untrue. Whether that figure accurately represents the issue or not, we know that the percentage is high and steadily increasing. Technological advances have made it possible to use images, speech patterns, and precise voice duplication of key figures to disseminate false information. Many of these reports centre around politics and religion. They are lies, and lies are always destructive.
It is alarming that many Christians, even pastors and leaders, swallow these falsehoods and repost them as true accounts. If, in fact, the source of any report is false, the repeating of that information constitutes: ‘bearing false witness’ – a breach of the eighth commandment. Even if the stories report great revivals in other lands, the conversion to faith of celebrities, the health issues of Christian leaders, etc., if they are not based in fact, they are lies. Lies originate with the ‘father of lies,’ who is Satan himself. We are not part of his kingdom. Great harm can be done and deception multiplied by ‘well-meaning’ but misinformed believers.
Jesus warned His followers that He would send us out as sheep among wolves and therefore we were to be ‘as wise as serpents and as harmless as doves’ (Matthew 10:16). What then should we do as we interact with social media? How can we separate the wheat from the chaff?
As pastors and ministry leaders, we must set the standard. Before we ever repeat a story or copy a post, we must use due diligence to verify that it is based in fact. If we are unable to trace it back to a reliable source, we must disregard it. If we are not overly conscientious in this matter, we will find ourselves ‘bearing false witness.’ That is a serious offence in the sight of God and a bad example for the people we have been chosen to lead. The rule of thumb is simple: if you can’t confirm it, don’t repeat it.
As communicators, we should clearly inform our people about this avalanche of nefarious, untrue, and unreliable information running rampant across all social media platforms. We must let them know that the repetition of mistruth is ‘bearing false witness.’ It will always bring division and confusion. That is the sole intent of those who craft these elaborate accounts based on lies. When necessary, we should caution and correct those under our care who carelessly and gullibly engage in the practice of spreading these untruths to others. The principle is simple: if it is not true, it is a lie.
In a world dangerously devoid of truth, we, as followers of Jesus, need to always remember that our Lord Jesus values truth so highly that He embodies it. He is full of grace and truth. We who follow The Truth should be champions only of the truth. “Whatsoever things are true, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8).
Al is an experienced pastor and counselor who works out of our ABNWT District Resource Centre in Edmonton as the Pastoral Care Coordinator. A pastor to the pastors, Al is a friend, mentor, and confidante to all.