Could anyone possibly have missed the ‘war of words’ between POTUS and the News Media? For well over a year, News Medias of all types have been lambasting President Trump, calling him every vile name that they felt they could viciously publish. And not to be outdone, President Trump has vilified the ‘Press’ by labeling them as dishonest, ideological partisans who lack a basic commitment to integrity in reporting. Now, without taking sides and being accused of being ‘political’ ourselves, can we all agree with the Lord when He says, ‘Where words are many, sin is not absent’. Proverbs 10:19.
Clearly, both sides feel justified in their appraisals. And without going into detail and considering the rationale both use for what they say, one claim made by the press intrigues me. They excuse their vilification of POTUS by saying, ‘We are simply speaking truth to power’.
At first blush, this remark seems to ring true. One of the pillars of any free society is the freedom of the press. Our press should be free to speak truth to power without undue concern over acts of intimidation, innuendo, insinuation or even incarceration by the power to whom they speak it. But ‘press freedom’ is primarily limited to speaking ‘TRUTH’. No reporter or news media agency should ever feel the liberty to publish anything that is not truth–foisting on unsuspecting readers/listeners/watchers a report that is patently false or insufficiently vetted and incorrectly presented as truth. But, if those same agents ARE SPEAKING TRUTH, they should have the freedom and even sense an obligation to share that truth publicly, regardless of the consequences.
In a way, we, who claim the Name of Jesus, find ourselves in a place where we, too, should sense the obligation to speak truth to power. No, I’m not talking about ‘political speech’. Though, as was the case with Jesus and His disciples, we may be called to speak in a political setting from time to time. Actually, I’m talking about the daily conversations that we have with people who are in the grasp of ‘the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience’. Ephesians 2:2.
As children of the light, we are walking in the ‘freedom that only THE truth’ can provide. John 8:31-32. As God’s children, ambassadors, on earth, we are called and privileged to provide that truth to anyone who will listen.
Our speaking truth to power is the key for anyone who will by faith receive the Lord Jesus Christ ,for forgiveness of sins–breaking the power of canceled sins–and walking free in Him. Romans 10:9ff.
Today, there may be in your sphere of influence a person bound in darkness who is ready and waiting to hear someone ‘speak truth to power’. Will you be THAT SOMEONE who shares the truth?