“‘…neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.'” John‬ ‭8‬:‭11‬ ‭NIV‬

2020 was the year of the pandemic.  

And I’m not talking about the Coronavirus. 

2020 was also the year of the pandemic of truth-telling. We all became obsessed with finding answers about covid, vaccines, politicians, mask mandates, racial injustice, mental health issues, the economy, the election, and climate change. And everyone had their corner on the market of “the truth.”

Depending on your news source and social media feed, we all felt like we knew what was really going on and needed to get the word out to as many people as possible. And thus began the pandemic of truth-telling.

The problem was that by the end of 2020, we were no more clear, educated, and united than before the truth-telling began. That’s because we missed one vital truth about truth-telling. 

What we say is heard by how we say it. 

Jesus shows us this. 

John tells us of an encounter where a woman is caught in the act of adultery, dragged from her home, and down naked in front of Jesus and a crowd of people. The religious leaders want him to condemn her to death. In other words, tell her the truth! Her sins demand she is killed. 

Jesus takes another approach.

“But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, ‘Let any one of you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.’ Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ ‘No one, sir,’ she said. ‘Then neither do I condemn you,’ Jesus declared. ‘Go now and leave your life of sin.'”
‭‭John‬ ‭8‬:‭6‬-‭11‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Truth + Grace = Love.

Truth without grace feels like anger, arrogance, and holier than thou. It rarely leads to conviction or change.

Grace without truth feels like encouragement and affirmation for a behavior that will only bring pain, and it rarely leads to life. 

But grace first, truth second opens someone’s heart to hear the truth.  

For all of us who have felt that the church, and thus Jesus, was on a mission to just tell us the truth of how we’ve failed him, think again. Jesus shares the truth of our sins in the love of his Father.  

We are the ones Jesus gives guidance away from our past and grace for our tomorrow. 

Today’s Prayer:
Jesus, thank you for loving me enough to give me truth… and grace.