Can You Handle the Truth?

This is a post in which I strongly encourage comments from our readers.

I have been observing the world around me a lot lately and I have come to discover a new pattern or trend that seems to be infecting society. It seems to have root in the idea of the power of positive thinking. It is my opinion that this idea stemmed from the school of thought that says give everybody on the team a trophy just for showing up, that love should never be tough, that bringing truth to light is complaining and not constructive, therefore it should never be done, etc....

No matter how well intended this may have been in the beginning, I believe it has gotten so out of control that most of society (including a good part of the church) is looking at the world through rose colored glasses and avoiding anything that may cause pain or discomfort in any way.

For instance, when a person sees a problem and brings it to the attention of somebody who can do something about it, often that person is labeled as being negative, a complainer, or a troublemaker. As a result, it's common for that person to be ignored, or avoided altogether and their concerns are often dismissed. Nobody does anything to deal with the issue and the problem gets bigger. It seems that people are in the mindset that if we ignore our problems they will go away. If we pretend they don't exist they won't.

Another thought that has come to my mind is in regards to the blind followers of those who know the issues but feel like nobody else needs to because it would "spread" the negativity. So, they try to figure out how to solve the problem and discourage anybody who might know of it. Those who know of it are encouraged to keep it to themselves or told that they are wrong.

I write this out of personal experiences in my own life. I see a problem, I want to fix it, so I bring it to the attention of those "in charge" and offer some suggestions. However, I am quickly cut off, and told to hush and frequently labeled as complaining or negative.

In the meantime, the problems continue to exist and are getting bigger before my very eyes and I can do nothing to stop it. I see so many others like me who try to take a stand and they get beaten down to the point that they give up. I'm getting that way myself. They feel like nobody is listening and nobody cares....perhaps they are right. Many times, they give up and stop caring themselves.

Positive thinking and speaking is a wonderful idea that should continue to be encouraged, but, not to the extent that truth is denied or ignored. There is much suffering going on in secular society and the church body as well. It is so unnecessary and could be avoided if we would all take off our rose colored glasses and take a good hard look at the real picture. Then perhaps we can face the issues, deal with them, heal, and move forward as a wiser, stronger, and healthier generation.

It's true that ignorance is bliss. But, it's still ignorance. It's time for the church to set the example by not painting a pretty picture, by not hiding behind righteous deeds and works when the heart is wounded. We must heal from within before growth can begin.

Sue posted earlier on numbers. I agree totally with her. Numbers are important. But, they should not be counted just to make an impression. Each number represents a person and each person represents a soul. It's not the numbers that matter, it's what we do with them. Are we going to turn the hurt, sick, and dying souls away just because they might notice something wrong and dare to speak about it?

Sometimes, in an attempt to keep from hurting another, we are careful not to say something wrong. Or even worse, we turn a deaf ear. We live in a society that will take great lengths to avoid pain and stress. In the process of doing so, are we actually creating even more pain and stress? What if we start paying attention more and consider legitimate concerns? Then we can see the core of the problem, attack the source, and perhaps bring about healing in that life whether that life is a person, a church, a company, or a government. Truth hurts, and the process of healing can be very painful...but the consequences of avoiding the truth are much worse. In a nutshell, avoiding the truth is synonymous to living a lie.