There are a few people who know me by tones, what I do not say, and even by the phrasing of my words. They ask the obvious questions, yet at times you know that their question is rhetorical because as they ask they are already responding to my silence. I can hide some things but the obvious is out on full display.
I find parents often express their desire to know everything about their children’s life. They probe, inquire, and even interrogate; seeking to know the yet unrevealed secret. Corporations talk about their desire for employees and groups to be fully transparent. “Let everyone see what you are doing so we can leverage the lessons learned” is the clich? that echoes down the corridors.
It is fine to see people saying that they want to know about others. The obvious question that often remains unanswered is why? What are they going to do with the information? Can they actually handle the truth? Will parents remember what their lives were like when they were children and teenagers? Are they willing to grabble and be supportive when the choices made are not their own? Can they handle the reality of the process of their children becoming adults?
Corporations do not really want to know what is going on, they just want results. Organizational dysfunction cannot be discussed or acknowledged. Messengers carrying bad news are killed; things have not changed from ancient times.
There is someone different. “God is in charge of human life, watching and examining us inside and out.” (Proverbs 20.27) He knows our sordid details. He has examined people who are full of hatred, venom, and anger. He has nurtured individuals who exploit ever aspect of the people around them; taking what is theirs, grabbing hope, and destroying lives.
One of the reasons we cannot handle the truth about each other is because we have no idea of what to do with the truth. God does. His arms of love, mercy, and acceptance are here for each occasion. His question is just where, when and how.
