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Speaking the Inconvenient Truth
The
phrase “inconvenient truth” was made part of the public language in 2007 when
Al Gore published a book by that name to warn the public about global
warming. But is has been part of our
lives since we first began to communicate with other hunters and
gatherers. I would imagine that is was
hard for “Rock” to tell the tribe that the red berries they had been eating all
Summer were the reason for their being tired and unable to hunt. It was very difficult for Galileo to stand up
to the Roman Catholic Church and declare that the Sun, not the earth was the
center of the solar system. It was
difficult for the South to come to terms with the immorality of holding people
in slavery. It was hard for the German people
to admit that the promises of Adolf Hitler were only a cover for a far more
sinister future. The inconvenience
factor of truth is one signs that we need to pay attention to and heed its
warnings. In this blog I will explore
the role that inconvenient truths play in our lives.
When
I was in Seminary an Old Testament Professor of mine asked his class a simple
question. “How do we know if a person is
a prophet or not?” The class of “theological
toddlers” came up with all kinds of convoluted ways to discern the true prophet
from the false prophet. Some involved
biblical tests of purity while others engaged in some strange mixture of
clairvoyance and mysticism. After the
class spent a good deal of time arguing and fantasizing about the issues, Dr.
Stewart cleared his throat. This never
failed to bring the discussion to a stop.
All ears were prepared for a booming pronouncement of truth. Instead, the Prof offered a little smile and
gently spoke, saying, “You can tell if someone is a prophet if what they say
comes true.” We sat in stunned silence.
I
suggest that we can use a person’s willingness to declare an inconvenient truth
as a sign that they might be a prophet.
We can only know for sure if the inconvenient truth becomes an
inconvenient fact! The sweep of human
history has been blessed by quite a few people who were willing to announce
inconvenient truths. A few have turned
out to be prophets, people who speak for something greater than themselves and beyond
their own tiny view of the world. They
announce a truth that is hidden beneath centuries of prejudice, socially
accepted assumptions, and self-serving beliefs.
In the short-term we cannot tell the prophet from the charlatan. But in the next few paragraphs I hope to
share some thoughts on ways that we can better understand inconvenient truths
and discern, as best we can, those who speak them and those who speak of
something less than the truth.
What is an inconvenient truth?
I
want to be clear what I mean by the phrase “inconvenient truth.” Separately the words are commonly used and
are, for the most part, easily accepted.
But when we put them together, problems arise. I want to deal with these as individual words
first. Then, I will try and define the phrase when the two words come together.
Inconvenient
is, according to Merriam-Webster, an adjective that is “not convenient,
especially in giving trouble or annoyance.”
According to the Oxford Dictionary, inconvenient is an adjective that
causes trouble, difficulties, or discomfort.
The word is traced back to the Latin for not agreeing or fitting in.
We
use the adjective to communicate our discomfort with something. If a neighbor asks to come over for a cup of
coffee and the house is a mess, we simply say that a visit would be
inconvenient rather than saying, “I’m a slob and I do not want you to see just
how dirty my house really is.” If we
read that a cold front will be coming through and mess up our weekend plans, we
will likely change the plans while resenting just how inconvenient this
“weather thing” can be. When we get
sick and have to stay in bed rather than be up and about, we may become upset
at the unfairness and inconvenience of illness.
When the annoying becomes the troublesome, difficult, or discomforting,
our anger and/or denial become more apparent.
As the “temperature” of our response rises, so does our voice in
expressing our displeasure.
Inconvenience is simply part of a life that has to make adjustments to
other people and experiences. We may not
like the word, but we can generally accept it and use it to describe our
experience. This is not so easily said
for the word “truth.”
Western
civilization has struggled to accept truth for what it is. Truth has been a popular topic of
philosophical debate since the earliest days of human interaction. Truth is supposed to make communication more
trustworthy. It should make
communication a more reliable way of understanding reality.
Merriam-Webster
Dictionary has four different definitions of truth. Within those four definitions there are
eleven different connotations. The first
definition refers to truth as the body of real things, events, and facts (Actuality);
the state of being the case (Fact); and
a transcendent fundamental or spiritual reality. A second definition says that truth is a
judgment, proposition, or idea that is true or accepted as true. A third defines truth as the body of true
statement and proposition. One
connotation states that truth is a
property (or statement) of being in accord with fact or reality, fidelity to an
original or to a standard. Another
connotation suggests that truth is sincerity in action, character, and
utterance. Truth derives from the Middle
English word (treowth) meaning fidelity
or faithfulness. This old word is best
known in the word “troth” from the Book of Common Prayer wedding ritual where
the couple plights (or pledges) their “troth” (or faithfulness) before the
community.
To
say the least, truth is a much more complicated word that inconvenient. Yet, it is essential to the human
enterprise. Real communication, and thus
society itself, depends on people agreeing on the answer to Pilate’s question,
“What is truth?” I doubt we will ever
arrive at a single definition. But for
the purposes of this blog, I want to suggest some straight forward ways of
understanding the word truth.
First,
truth is about the real and actual in our world. Truth is a noun, it is a real thing not a
made up or pretend “something.” Our
perception of the real or actual may vary based on our physical senses, our
mind’s understanding, and our soul’s desires.
But the accuracy or inaccuracy of our perception does not alter the
truth itself. There are things that are
so clouded by our perceptions, that we cannot call them truth. We call these statements of faith or
mysteries. These are valuable, in
themselves, but they are not truth as I am referring to it in this blog. Truth is a thing that exists as part of the
real or actual world and is not subject to opinion or perception for reality.
Second,
truth is knowable only to the extent that our perceptions are aligned with the
way that others see and perceive the world.
Truth, as an operative word, works only within a social context. Operatively, we can function with truth as
long as people are honest about the limits of their perceptions and are able to
live in dialogue with others who are also honest about the limits of their
perceptions as well. Truth is that
middle ground where we agree that what we are seeing is real after excluding
self-deception based on self-interest, etc.
Finally,
to declare something to be true is, and should be, an act of deep humility,
acknowledging that we may be in error. I
quote my favorite 20th Century philosopher on truth. Mr. Monk said
repeatedly, “I may be wrong, but I don’t think so.” The ancient truth-speakers (real prophets) were
generally slow to speak because they felt the weight of the truth weighing down
upon their mind and soul. The charlatan Court
Prophets were always eager to speak and say whatever their sovereign required
of them. Truth is more often announced
in whispers than it is in headlines.
What
is an inconvenient truth? When a
whispered truth causes our lives to protest and resist, we have encountered an
inconvenient truth. When a quietly
spoken word causes our hearts to sink and our minds to yield, we may have heard
an inconvenient truth. When the powers
at be who have much to lose because of a whispered word “declare war against
it, we may have met an inconvenient truth.
The inconvenient truth is a glimpse of reality that breaks through our
wants and desires, our myths and mental foolery, and reveals that which is
uncomfortable, unwanted, and undeniably true.
The Prophetic Voice and the Inconvenient Truth
There
is an important correlation between an inconvenient truth and the notion of
prophet in our society. Some call
themselves a prophet because they believe it gives an aura of authority to their
words. But the speaker does not give
authority to the words. The words that
give authority and power to the speaker.
It is important that we learn to distinguish between the speaker and the
inconvenient truth that is spoken.
The
prophet is not responsible for the inconvenience of the truth that is
spoken. The prophet is only responsible
for being faithful to that word. If the
words are spoken in bad faith, then the speaker can and should be ignored. How can we know if a speaker is being
faithful? Here are few things to
consider.
Is
the speaker credible? Does the speaker
have training, experience, special knowledge and/or a community that holds them
accountable for their words? As we say
in the South, does the one speaking “have a dog in the hunt” or are they
serving a more objective purpose? Does the one announcing an inconvenient truth
speak out of conviction or an evident self-serving need?
Is
the speaker clear and focused? Truth,
inconvenient or otherwise, is seldom a broad generalization that wraps around
our lives like a giant amoeba. Truth is
generally a narrowly focused, perhaps much-qualified, but stated in clear,
non-technical language. The prophet is
generally a person of few words, but enough words to get the truth across. The most commonly understood inconvenient
truth is that the increasing rate of global warming is the result of human
choices made over the last 100 150 years.
Note the qualifiers (“rate of” and “100 -150 years”). Note also that there is no discussion of the
difference between climate and weather.
This statement is, in essence, the inconvenient truth that has been
spoken by a vast majority of weather scientist for over two decades. The words are clear and focused.
The
truth, not the speaker, is the center of attention. Too often, the speaker upstages the truth
being spoken. We can feel confident that
a person is speaking an inconvenient truth when the focus is on the word being
spoken and not on the personality of the speaker. There is no value to showmanship when
offering an inconvenient truth. The
truth itself must be able to affirm itself and convince the listener. Many will try and speak this truth, but very
few will succeed because they do not want to stand behind the truth. They want to be out front where they can be
applauded for their courage or wisdom. Inconvenient
truth does not need a “sideshow hawker” to boost its validity. It speaks for itself from the center of the
stage.
A
prophet is interchangeable and replaceable, the truth is not. As history has shown, prophets seldom profit
from their words. Many will die at any
early age. Others will fade into the
pages of history. Many will be silenced
and leave only their words behind.
Speaking inconvenient truths is not a career choice. There is no such thing as a genuine,
professional prophet. The world raises
up those who can speak the truth in times of need. Once the truth is offered it takes on a life
of its own and the original voice may be lost.
Can you name the person who first offered the truth of global
warming? Few of us can but we know their
words. Truth does not depend on a
personality to carry it into the public conversation? Once spoken it will do so on its own.
A
prophet is a servant of the word and the word of a servant. These are two ideas that get lost in the
public square. A truth speaker allows
the truth to shape them and their words.
They feel the need to honor the truth they speak with careful word
selection and setting it in a context that does not detract from it. All that they do and say is in service of
getting the word out into the public marketplace of ideas. When they are faithful to the word, they can
rest assured that the word they speak will be received as a word of a servant,
not someone who is manipulating and using the word for other purposes. There is an integrity to truth-speaking that
makes all the difference.
A
final word about the truth speaker.
Occasionally a truth speaker arises that lingers in the public
mind. Generally, they are remembered
because of their courage and sacrifice to the word they spoke. This is okay.
But we should never separate them from the words they spoke. A memorial should never be a simple image of
the person. The words they spoke should
be inscribed in the same rock from which the person was sculpted. The
spoken truth will remain long after prophet has been forgotten. To remember both is okay. But, when we remember the prophet and forget
the word, we have dishonored both!
How should we receive the inconvenient truth?
What
follows are a few observations on the relationship between the inconvenient
truth and the hearer.
Whenever
we hear someone offer a dire warning for our society, we need to harbor a healthy skepticism. Why? Because
the truth can take it being examined but lies and deceit will be devoured in
the fires of the skeptic. All truths
need to be tested in the fires of reality.
This is just as true of religious knowledge as it is of scientific
insights. We do not have to be cynical
about other’s motives or disrespectful of their beliefs. We do not have to muster hatred, anger, or
bitterness in order to be skeptical of someone and their words. We do not have to judge them to be fools or
demons in order to disagree with them.
However, we do need to test their words in our and other’s
experiences.
Do
they pass the smell test? Are their
words “hooking” a known bias of mine and creating a purely emotional
response? Do I have sufficient distance
from the spoken truth to be able to assess its fairness and accuracy? Am I willing to sit down with the speaker and
others to weigh and test the conclusions?
The hearer of the inconvenient truth bears the burden of proof for
accepting or denying its validity, but only for themselves. An unthinking, untested acceptance of or
denial of an inconvenient truth will not serve us well as an individual or as a
society.
However,
once we have come to believe that there is truth behind the inconvenience, we
need to take it seriously. If is bears
up under the weight of scrutiny, then it should compel us to act. But the energy to act should come from the
truth itself, not from its main proponent or the cheerleaders that champion it
in the media. We do not support an
inconvenient truth in order to belong to the group or pay our dues to the
club. If the truth, itself, does not
motivate you to take action you may need to spend more time listening or move
on to something else. The truth will
move us to act. It has that power once
we are open to and accepting of it.
Many
of the positive movements for change in western culture began as an
inconvenient truth. Abraham spoke of
monotheism and became the founder of three great religious traditions on earth. Greek democracy continues to echo in Western
culture from a voice spoken in the face of ancient oligarchy. The idea of the earth revolving around a star
established an observational science as opposed to a revealed, biblical view of
science. The elevation of the dignity of
the individual challenged a medieval
world of Lords and Serfs. The voice that
proclaimed that human rights apply to all people continues to echo in every society
on earth who seeks to protect them. Each
of these inconvenient truths has ground and polished a new facet on the diamond
of human culture. They have served as
words of promise and words of warning. We
ignore them at our own detriment.
What does an inconvenient truth offer
us?
The
inconvenient truth has the power to hold a mirror up to ourselves and our society. The reactions they cause in society, reveals
much about our values and the things we hold to be of ultimate importance. To deny the human influence on global warming
betrays a valuing of the present over the future, the needs of the few over the
needs of the many. The inconvenient
truth of racism in our culture and the resistance that many have to its very
existence shows our society to be more concerned for maintaining privilege and
position for the majority at the expense of the minority, the strong over the
weak. Inconvenient truths can teach much
about who we are and the values that truly operate in our lives. By comparing these learnings to our words and
stated intentions, we can uncover the changes that are necessary for our future
growth and development as a people.
By
allowing ourselves to be shaped by the inconvenient truths that have proven
themselves in our lives, we are able to see through the gaslighting that tempts
us to deny the reality of truth itself. Inconvenient truths can become the polar star that
enables us to steer our lives together toward something that greater than we
are. Inconvenient truths have the power
to strengthen our resolve and help us discover new ways to continue the human
journey into a place of even greater abundance for all people. Empowered by truth, we can move toward
broader freedom for all humanity.
Ultimately,
inconvenient truths can lead us to a clearer perspective of ourselves and a
deeper appreciation for what we do not yet know, the mysteries in life. In these mysteries we will find the keys that
will unlock the future that awaits us as a species.
How can we best prepare ourselves to hear
them?
If
inconvenient truths are so important to our present and future lives, what can
we do to more fully appreciate and make them part of our lives as individuals
and as a community?
First,
we have to grow up. When we were little
we thought like a child and acted like a child.
We were the center of our
universe. We wanted our wishes to be
enough to get what we wanted. We had no
time for waiting and demanded that every whim be granted. But when we grow-up we must put away some of
the things from our childhood. We are not
the center of universe. We do not get our way just by demanding and wishing. Neverland is not a place. Believing is not the same as reality. Belief cannot change reality, but it can
shape our perception of it. If we are to
grow into the full measure of humanity, we must put away the things of
childhood and learn to accept inconvenient truths.
Second,
we must challenge, and if necessary, change deeply held beliefs that will
enable us to better understand and bring meaning to our lives. When an inconvenient truth shows us something
unfavorable about ourselves, we must discover ways to embrace those learnings
and incorporate them into our lives.
When they expose us to the mysteries, may we grow through and into the
person that is inside, groaning to see the light of a new day.
Let
us listen carefully, discern the prophetic voice, and respect the future as
much as you respect the past and present.
The inconvenient truths have to power to help us do these things and
more. The inconvenient truth is a gift
from life itself. It offers much to
those who are groaning into becoming a new creation.
Shalom,
Bob
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