Perhaps none of us need to be as blunt as the fellow in this article, but most of us understand that honesty is the best policy. There is a commandment about telling the truth, and you don't have to be a rocket scientist to figure out what that means. But, in fact, being honest can be much harder than it seems upon initial consideration.
We Minnesotans are famous for avoiding confrontation. The term "Minnesota nice" was developed for a reason. Most of us will smile and nod in agreement, even if we don't really agree because we want to avoid making a scene. (This is unlike my friends from the East Coast, who seem to be very comfortable making a scene.) No matter where you are from, however, there is a human tendency to tell people what they want to hear more than what it true.
Nobody enjoys delivering bad news. At work, it is much easier to tell the boss what he or she expects than it is to tell the truth. It is easier to avoid the truth than to share it. So when the commandment says "Thou shall not bear false witness," the challenge is actually quite significant, even for faith-filled people.
I also think of that story in Matthew (21:28-31) where the master asks his two sons to work in the vineyard; one says he will and then doesn't do so; the other says he won't but changes his mind and decides to go to work. We readily acknowledge that the first son is wrong to go back on his word. We all know a person should do what they say they are going to do. They should tell the truth. But maybe this first son was a little like us Minnesotans; maybe he didn't like to disappoint others. It is easier for him to say what the master expects and then disappoint in private. At least by saying "yes," he gets happy face-time with the master, leaving the disappointment to a time when he is someplace else.
We need to find the courage to say what we mean, to follow through on our commitments, to refrain from making commitments that we have no intention of keeping, to be honest. Clearly, it is not always easy. Sometimes saying "no" will disappoint. But disappointment is better than deception.
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