The Policy of Truth
By Depeche Mode
You had something to hide
Should have hidden it, shouldn't you?
Now you're not satisfied
With what you're being put through
It's just time to pay the price
For not listening to advice
And deciding in your youth
On the policy of truth
Things could be so different now
It used to be so civilized
You will always wonder how
It could have been if you'd only lied
It's too late to change events
It's time to face the consequence
For delivering the proof
In the policy of truth
Never again
Is what you swore
The time before...
Now you're standing there tongue tied
You better learn your lesson well
Hide what you have to hide
And tell what you have to tell
You'll see your problems multiplied
If you continually decide
To faithfully pursue
The policy of truth
Never again
Is what you swore
The time before...
Should have hidden it, shouldn't you?
Now you're not satisfied
With what you're being put through
It's just time to pay the price
For not listening to advice
And deciding in your youth
On the policy of truth
Things could be so different now
It used to be so civilized
You will always wonder how
It could have been if you'd only lied
It's too late to change events
It's time to face the consequence
For delivering the proof
In the policy of truth
Never again
Is what you swore
The time before...
Now you're standing there tongue tied
You better learn your lesson well
Hide what you have to hide
And tell what you have to tell
You'll see your problems multiplied
If you continually decide
To faithfully pursue
The policy of truth
Never again
Is what you swore
The time before...
In today's world many are jaded; so it seems that even in the face of a measure of truth, some still resist. Are they listening or thinking? Why resist what must be? A thing in itself is still itself as the philosophers say. Should we 'have hidden it?'
Should the policy of truth be the guide to human relationships? Hide what you have to hide/tell what you have to tell... sounds somewhat prudent, even wise. But then the fall comes. And the truth is critical to it all. In every life there are unintended consequences to our behaviors and actions. We simply do not control any of the other actors in life and that's annoying, to say the least.
Events take place that we could not possibly have anticipated, or even imagined, so far from our normal understanding they are. So what then? It seems that finally, we just have to deal, as the expression goes.
Deal with what comes from others, deal with our consequences, even if what we contributed bore unintended and negative results. Just deal with it. The Bible has many things to say about the truth of anything, a truth which admits to change:
They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying,
"Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the
way of God in accordance with the truth. And you are
not concerned with anyone's opinion, for you do not regard a person's status.
"Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the
way of God in accordance with the truth. And you are
not concerned with anyone's opinion, for you do not regard a person's status.
Tell us, then, what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the
census tax to Caesar or not?"
Knowing their malice, Jesus said, "Why are you testing me, you
hypocrites?
Show me the coin that pays the census tax." Then they handed him
the Roman coin.
He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?"
They replied, "Caesar's." At that he said to them, "Then repay to
Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."
"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"
He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your
heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
This is the greatest and the first commandment.
The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
census tax to Caesar or not?"
Knowing their malice, Jesus said, "Why are you testing me, you
hypocrites?
Show me the coin that pays the census tax." Then they handed him
the Roman coin.
He said to them, "Whose image is this and whose inscription?"
They replied, "Caesar's." At that he said to them, "Then repay to
Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."
"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"
He said to him, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your
heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.
This is the greatest and the first commandment.
The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
Bible Matthew 23:16-21; 36-39
Truth telling after reading the Christian disciple Matthew, and carefully considering the meaning takes on another dimension. Here it 's not the childish "I cannot tell a lie," but the skillfulness of discernment. One can and must know what is true, or not hang his hat there.
Even if one did not like the Emperor Caesar, one was still obliged to pay him homage; if one did not agree with the Roman policies, one still was obliged to pay heed to them, and if one was to love his neighbor as himself, then one is to tell truth as needs to be told to enact the love of self and neighbor. To do otherwise, in the Christian view, is to delude the self with deceits that one then deals others.
Even if one did not like the Emperor Caesar, one was still obliged to pay him homage; if one did not agree with the Roman policies, one still was obliged to pay heed to them, and if one was to love his neighbor as himself, then one is to tell truth as needs to be told to enact the love of self and neighbor. To do otherwise, in the Christian view, is to delude the self with deceits that one then deals others.
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