Truth is not a weapon.

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Truth is not a weapon I wield like a sword, chopping down those who oppose me.

Truth is where I stand in my heart, allowing all things to be as all things are, without the need to make all things be my truth.

 

So often, we believe to have our truth heard, we must speak above others, drowning out their voices so only ours remains.

That is not truth-speaking.

For our truth to be heard, we must speak it in peace. Using our words kindly to create space for someone else to hear us, and for us to hear them.

Sometimes, truth can hurt. But it hurts much less when we take care to speak our truth with compassion, giving care to how the other will feel when the words we speak stand between us.

Are our words a barrier or a bridge?

Are they a minefield of discord or filled with a desire to find common ground?

Do our words pierce like an arrow or open minds to understanding one another’s hearts?

I was at a meeting yesterday where two years ago, the same people sitting around the table sat on opposite sides of the fence. To find common ground, we had to make room for all truths to stand without judgement. We had to allow space for our opposing views to be heard without fear of being drowned out in the anger and fear of our differing perspectives and understanding of what had happened. We had to listen to what ‘the other’ had to say about what had gone wrong, and what wasn’t working without denying the truth of what was said.

In the process, we found room for all our views to co-exist. We found strength to bridge the gaps between our differing views to create a better everyone could live with and within.

There is truth in everything, yet not all things are true.

It is true, there is war in the world. Yet, the whole world is not engaged in war.

It is true, there is discrimination in the world. Yet, discrimination does not rule the whole world.

It is true, there is poverty. Yet, poverty is not true for everyone.

Until we hear all things without fearing ‘the truth’ of all things, we will not find the path to see and hear and feel what is true without fearing the other’s truth will prevail, take over, overcome what is true in our world.

Until we speak our truth, in peace, allowing love and compassion to soothe our words, our truth will be viewed by someone as untrue or unkind.

“Truth without love is brutality, and love without truth is hypocrisy.”  ― Warren W. Wiersbe

Until our truth becomes the ground upon which we stand in love and harmony, our truth will be the weapon others use to stand apart.

Namaste.

 

 

 

 

7 thoughts on “Truth is not a weapon.”

  1. Truth is not a blunt instrument, but rather a blunt circumstance. Some circumstances are hard to look at. Some are difficult to swallow. Why? Because we all hold competing values – we all want fair and balanced, as long as the values we care most about get a fair shake or come out on top. The challenge is to champion someone else’s values, as if they were our own, and make sure their voice is heard and the result fair. Impossible, of course, but always worth trying …

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  2. There is a lot to think about in this post. I wonder whether being compassionately truthful, is simply leaving out the hurtful bits. That is, you do not have to actually lie to be kind. So one can say ‘that blue in your outfit is really enchanting’ rather than ‘that outfit makes you look ten years older’; OR ‘You have gone to a lot of trouble with this meal, thank you’, rather than ‘this soup is burnt’.
    I always think it is better to take the kind approach. I know these are mundane examples but it can extend to peace or relationships

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  3. Great post. You have me drifting in thoughts about what I love about Right Speech and the primary concept that speech should always benefit and never harm. To me, if it hurts someone, it isn’t true and definitely not Right Speech. There’s always a way to say something with compassion — or to stop and reflect on whether it should be said at all.
    I love the idea of a room full of people with different opinions, working their way to solutions that take everyone into account — imagine if every board room and government body operated that way!

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  4. Thanks for helping me figure out why I have to now give up an any sort of real reconciliation with one of my in-laws. Her truth is that I am wrong. My truth is that she is wrong. Despite numerous attempts on my part, and taking all the wrongness as mine and asking for forgiveness, and being forgiven, she has never said she is sorry too and now doesn’t want anything to do with me. All of my past words to her – my truth-speaking – initially seemed to work but now, after months of her cold shoulder, I think I should just shut up (even my thoughts and my confusion and hurt – all truths) and give up. I don’t quite know why it still bothers me as she and my brother have now split up anyway so she isn’t part of my life. But I still feel so sad and I am not used to being disliked haha! Sorry for this longwinded comment, Louise xx

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