【双语灵修】说诚实话Speak Truthfully
“所以，你们要弃绝谎言，各人与邻舍说实话，因为我们是互相为肢体。” - 弗 4:25
今天的经文告诉我们要对人诚实。耶稣从遵守诺言的角度谈到了这一点，保罗则敦促我们说诚实话。这些教诲让我想起了我所处的两种情况。
在布基纳法索，对别人说“不”是很难的，因为这被视为不尊重他人。因此，“是”可以是 “是”，也可以是“不是”；只有回答的人才知道“是”的意思。所以，即使实际上是“不是”，我们也要说“是”。然而，我们必须学会在爱里说 “不”。当别人说“不”时，我们也要学会接受。否则，人际关系就会变得不真实和虚伪，因为我们无法给对方明确的答案。
同样，我们也有所谓的“非洲时间”。这意味着，人们可以在约定时间之后十五分钟到一小时之间到达，而不会有任何问题。这对于匆忙和时间紧张的人来说似乎是一种幸福和解脱，但对于守时的人来说却是一种挫折和不利。
如果我们对他人隐瞒真相，那就是撒谎。在有些情况下，我们可能也会为自己的行为感到羞愧，所以我们会试图用谎言来掩盖。但是，说实话意味着提供正确的信息、信守诺言、履行义务和守时，意味着不做无法兑现的承诺。
在今天的文化和生活中，你该如何向人们“说诚实话”呢？
祷告
主啊，我们希望成为讲求真理的人。请帮助我们对你、对自己、对他人诚实。阿们。
马太福音 5:33-37
33“你们又听见有吩咐古人的话说：‘不可背誓，所起的誓总要向主谨守。’
34只是我告诉你们，什么誓都不可起。不可指着天起誓，因为天是神的座位；
35不可指着地起誓，因为地是他的脚凳；也不可指着耶路撒冷起誓，因为耶路撒冷是大君的京城；
36又不可指着你的头起誓，因为你不能使一根头发变黑变白了。
37你们的话，是就说是，不是就说不是；若再多说，就是出于那恶者。
Speak Truthfully
"Each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbor. . . ." - Ephesians 4:25
Our readings for today instruct us to be honest with the people in our lives. Jesus speaks about this in terms of keeping oaths, and Paul urges us to speak truthfully. These teachings remind me of two situations in my context.
In Burkina Faso, it is not easy to say “no” to others because that is seen as showing disrespect. So a “yes” can mean yes or no; only the person answering knows what the “yes” means. So we say “yes” even if it is actually no. But instead we must learn to say “no” with love. We must also learn to accept it when another person says “no.” Otherwise, relationships become unreal and hypocritical because we are not able to provide clear answers to each other.
Similarly, we have what we call “African time.” This means that people can arrive between fifteen minutes to an hour after the agreed time without any problem. This may seem like a blessing and relief to someone who is hurried and stressed, but it frustrates and disadvantages people who are punctual.
If we hide the truth from others, that is lying. In other situations, we might also be ashamed of our actions, so we might try to cover them up with lies. But telling the truth means giving correct information, keeping our word, fulfilling obligations, and being punctual. It means not making promises we cannot keep.
How can you “speak truthfully” to the people in your culture and life today?
Prayer
Lord, we want to be people of truth. Help us to be honest with you, ourselves, and others. Amen.
诵读: 骆云秀
片头: 张妙阳