Interpreting History

"Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him who is the Head, that is, Christ." – Ephesians 4:15

When movie producer Oliver Stone was criticized for bending the truth in his movie on the life of Richard Nixon, he said he was simply interpreting the truth, and that every production deserved new insights. Since when does truth have to be interpreted? If something is historical, should not the facts be the truth, rather than how someone would like things to have been?

Interpreting the truth is what historians do when they omit certain events and magnify others because of a personal agenda. Interpreting the truth is what a husband does when he lies to his wife, glossing over the fact that he did stop on the way home and had a drink with his secretary. Interpreting the truth is what politicians do when they look straight at the camera and deny having any knowledge of a situation when in reality they are lying and the facts prove it. While interpreting the truth isn’t new–Adam did it in the Garden of Eden–it has now become fashionable.

There are several ways the truth can be distorted–interpreted, if you will. One is by purposely withholding facts, making a situation look much different than it really is. Another way is by adding information which is neither actual nor consistent with the character of an individual or situation.

A recent poll indicates that seven out of ten individuals say they are dissatisfied with current standards of honesty–the largest proportion of people in many years. It is no wonder that there is growing cynicsm among people today–a sense that everything is relative and that you cannot be sure you have the unvarnished facts of a situation, no matter who reports it.

No matter what is going on in public life, we look for higher standards in personal life. The quality which is most esteemed in personal relationships is that of honesty.

How does God view the practice of interpreting the truth? The same way He viewed Adam’s comments in the garden–with disdain! Either something is true or it is a lie. The problem today is that people so commonly distort the truth that the practice has become habitual. Then we coin pleasant words such as "misinformation" to lessen the impact of deceit and purposeful misrepresentation.

Honesty is the fabric of trust. When we sense we can no longer trust each other, then we draw back, build walls and bridges, and live in doubt and cynicism. A person who is straightforward and honest may at times be upsetting but he or she is refreshing. You know that what you see is what you get, and you never wonder where the person stands.

Resource Reading: Ephesians 4:1-16