“All that glistens is not gold”

Recently, I received an enquiry from a ministry colleague who had discovered that someone in whom she had placed her trust was not all he seemed to be.  It had landed on my desk because the person concerned and his history is known to me.  The result was that several hours have since been spent on providing advice and ensuring that others who needed to be alerted were put in the know.

Since the man concerned is a professing Christian and presents himself as a trustworthy church leader, this is a very sad situation.  Nobody likes to speak badly about a fellow Christian, and I am also always careful that I do not put myself at risk of litigation. But sometimes the common good, and the work of the kingdom is best served by negative honest reports.

This is one of the hardest things that people in Christian leadership find they have to do.  Most responsible Christians would prefer not to speak negatively about someone else, and especially if that is another Christian.  Various verses from scripture stick in our mind, such as the one about not judging others in Matthew 7.  Also, James in his letter has much to say about the damage words can do (James 3:1-12).  James 4:11 cautions about speaking evil about another. In addition to what the Bible says about how we speak, there is the principle of love.  To speak negatively about someone does not seem to be loving.

You may be aware of the three gates principle of testing what you might say about another by asking yourself, is it true, is it kind, and is it necessary.  While not a quote from the Bible, it is a helpful piece of social advice.  But while all this is good, there remains a danger that hesitation to say something bad about someone else could be seriously wrong.

Take, for example, the situation that started this reflection.  What should be done where a person, known to cause havoc for churches and charities, and to act criminally, and having shown no evidence of repentance, presents himself as a trustworthy person seeking opportunity for Christian service?  To keep quiet might well put others at risk of harm.

On the other hand, and in a totally different context, I know that I spoke about another Christian, inappropriately.  In this situation, I had been a victim of slanderous accusations some years before.  Later, when asked why I was not demonstrating fellowship with this person, I said more than was necessary.  It is all too easy to fail.

But the Bible contains examples where individuals are criticised.  Jesus did not hold back from declaring some people to be hypocrites (Matthew 7:5).  Paul writes at length in his letter to the Galatian Christians about Peter acting hypocritically, stating that “he was to be blamed” (Galatians 2:11-14).  In some of his other letters, Paul praises some while pointing out the failures in others (Alexander the Coppersmith, for example).  In these examples, what was said or written was apparently true and apparently necessary to be said or written, even if it might not have passed the “kind gate”.

Some readers will remember David Dawn, an American Christian who came to the UK to train with us in rural mission.  David used to have a splendid looking pocket watch which he usually wore on a chain.  But it was only a fashion accessory as it did not work. He used to say that it was a failure as a watch but that it had great pretentions!  Over the years, I have met many professing Christians who set themselves forward as leaders, appearing very impressive, but whose lives lack integrity.

Is it possible that an understandable aversion towards speaking badly about someone might have led to subsequent hurt to individuals, to the life of churches and to the testimony of the gospel?  All that glistens is not gold, and when necessary we need to be prepared to expose that which is false.  If we changed one of those three gates form “Is it kind” to “Is it loving”, that might be helpful.  Speaking the truth in love, sometimes means speaking critically.  It also sometimes calls for special courage.

From the Diary

Over the last two weeks there have been various opportunities to bring God’s word, to counsel and advise.  This is a wonderful privilege and we give God the praise where people have been blessed and lives changed.

This Sunday and the coming week is comparatively free of ministry activities but I value your prayers for a Court hearing on Wednesday.  This relates to actions that a fellow trustee and I are seeking to fulfil the obligations imposed on us through a will.  To do so, we believe, requires us to act contrary to the wishes of someone who has benefited enormously for the past 37 years, but who now finds our proposed actions not to her liking.  We are seeking to act in her interests but her resistance has meant several court appearances and a spiralling cost which is currently being met from my colleagues and my personal limited incomes.  Please pray that this protracted situation will soon conclude in a way that will be for her good, and relieve us of a very difficult burden.

Thank you.

Barry