Back to the Truth

Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?

My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and is brought back by another, you should know that whoever brings back a sinner from wandering will save the sinner's soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins. - James 5:19-20

There has been a great deal of talk about getting to the truth lately.  We want to get to the bottom of everything, to know for sure what really transpired, to know the truth.

In today's reading, James tells the followers to speak the truth.  He also gives us an interesting path back from our own sinful ways, and that is to lead others back to the truth.

That seems a bit odd to me.  How can someone who has gone astray lead someone else back to the truth?

I guess it's kind of like asking a hacker to build your security system or a terrorist convert other terrorists.

Who better to know the path back from sin than a sinner who has made the journey himself?

We seek out experts to help us solve problems and this is really no different.  What James is saying appeals to our self-interest.  We can save ourselves by saving others.

But if we are all sinful, and James makes it clear we are, then the question is really who is saving whom?

Aren't we all really saving each other?

In some ways we are all experts at doing the wrong things, and when we learn from those things, we are more likely to want others to avoid the pitfalls we fell into.

So, that is what I take from James today.  I will share my failings with those who care to hear them and I will listen to theirs as well.  Together, we may just find ourselves making our way back to the truth we both seek.

More to come...