Exaggeration, misrepresentation, careless commitments and broken promises are all forms of dishonesty. They are destructive to other people (Pr 15:4) and abhorrent to God: 'The Lord detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful' (Pr 12:22).
God is a God of truth and desires his people, who are made in his image, to tell the truth. Jesus came into the world to testify to the truth (Jn 18:37). By contrast, the most distinctive feature of the devil is his opposition to the truth. This is expressed in various ways in John 8:44: he has nothing to do with the truth, no truth is in him, he is a liar and the father of lies.
The articles in this edition of Nucleus search out the truth about organ transplantation (pp2-3), suffering (pp11-16), teenage sexuality (pp17-25) and drug problems (pp26-32). Head to Head (pp34-35) debates the homosexual age of consent. Homosexuality is an issue in which the truth is often distorted.
In the first of a new series of testimonies, two students recount occasions when they have attempted to share their faith with patients (pp36-37). We all need to have courage to tell people the truth about Christ.
Speaking the truth without hesitation in all of these situations may be costly. As Roy Clements puts it: 'the one thing a tolerant age cannot tolerate is a passionate commitment to absolute, ultimate truth'. In the UK we are privileged to have freedom of speech. We may risk rejection or ridicule by our colleagues and friends at medical school, but we are unlikely to face anything close to martyrdom.
Jesus calls us to obedience: 'If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples. Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free' (Jn 8:31-32). Our attitude to Jesus is crucial. He longs for us to be free from the slavery of sin. He prays that his church will be united in faithfulness to God's truth (Jn 17:11-13,17). In both our medical schools and our homes we must stand up for the truth in all things, so that:
'speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is,Christ.' (Eph 4:15)
