Discipleship Reflections: Truth

“There is no truth towards Jesus without truth towards man.  Untruthfulness destroys fellowship, but truth cuts false fellowship to pieces and establishes genuine brotherhood.  We cannot follow Christ unless we live in revealed truth before God and man.”  – Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Being in community can be a very tough thing.  There are many times when it would be so much easier to allow broken relationships to stay that way, or hurt feelings to remain suppressed, or words that need to be spoken left unsaid.  It’s ironic that when we attempt to “sweep under the rug” the issues within the church, they tend to stay under the rug for a short time.  You know what I mean, right?  When a spouse says something that hurts your feelings, or you get the cold shoulder from a once close friend because you have new friends, or the pastor says something that ticks you off, maybe it’s a sharp word from someone you love–whatever the case these issues can become destructive if not dealt with out from underneath the rug within community.  Under the guise of pride by “turning the other cheek” it’s easy to sweep  the hurt away, because that’s what God wants us to do, right?  It is in this mentality that we are lead to what Bonhoeffer describes as “false fellowship.”  Pretending on the surface, with a fake it ’til you make it attitude, that everything is fine–but being empty and broken, or bitter and destructive,  on the inside.  God has something better for us…a brotherhood that is built on honesty and truthfulness.  A community where issues are looked at as opportunities instead of headaches, differences are viewed as a way to grow closer instead of parting ways, and broken relationships challenge us to build bridges instead of burning them…a genuine brotherhood.

This is a challenge for me as I think of the times that I have “turned the other cheek” for the sake of peace.  But inside I felt no peace, only turmoil…I see the cynical voice & skeptical eye through which I see people whom I have “forgiven.”  I realize that I have settled in my life, far too often, for “false fellowship” rather than dealing with the issues at hand.  Does it ring true for you too?  If so, I have a feeling we aren’t alone…but there are many like us who need prayer for God to give them the strength to allow these issues to surface and deal with them.  When we do…maybe we have a taste of  a genuine community of faith.