Proverbs 18: 17 He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.
If you are like me, you are a 6’2’ Baptist preacher writing a column for the Free Press. But you also might be like me and listen to political radio from time to time. I hear political pundits talk about “setting the narrative” or “getting ahead of the story” which is a nice way of saying whoever spills the beans first gets to twist the truth to favor their side and put their opponent on the defensive. Anytime you have a controversy between people, whoever gets their side of the story out first has the advantage. To borrow a thought from William Buckley, if someone comes to you and says I’m a scoundrel because they saw me push an old lady to the ground, you might get righteously angry. But if you ask me, you might find out that I pushed her out of the way of an oncoming logging truck speeding down the street. The man who spoke first gave the facts, but colored the context. Speaking of context, I will address the run of the mill, everyday sort of slander. I still believe this principle applies to criminal charges, but if someone is accused of breaking the law, then you must get the authorities involved. Then, the authorities and the press need to apply this principle.
When entangled in controversy, you need to do everything in your power to accurately represent your opponent. I know you want to be right and win the day, but be right in a truthful and honorable way. If you have to lie to make your enemy look worse than he is, that is a good indication that your case is weak-sauce. It’s like the preacher who dropped his outline coming out of the pulpit and someone picked up the paper and saw in the margins, “weak point — bang pulpit here.” You need to check your motives. Are you fighting for truth or fighting for yourself and looking for revenge by vanquishing your enemy by any means necessary?
It’s foolish to believe the accuser is right without even asking the accused. The Bible even tells us to not rush to judgment with men who have a proven record of godliness (1 Timothy 5:19). The goal is sincerely and seriously hearing the accusation and getting to the truth. While you listen, you need to hold a few things in your mind at once. The accuser may be telling you the truth. They may be telling you part of the truth and leaving out key information. They may be telling you what they remember, filtered through a whole lot of emotions and a whole lot of distortion. Or they could be a dirty, filthy, liar. If you listen to the accuser and make a judgment without investigation, you are committing sin. Get the facts before grabbing the pitchforks and torches.
