Eileen and I enjoyed watching the earlier episodes of “The Crown” on Netflix, focussing on the reign of Queen Elizabeth II.
Her reign spans our lifetimes: she was married to Prince Philip the year before I was born, their first child was born a month before me, and she became Queen (in Treetops Hotel in Kenya!) the year before Eileen was born.
We both grew up with her as our Queen – myself in Australia, Eileen (for the first 12 years of her life) in Ireland.
It was February 1954. I had just started school, and we were all given a commemorative booklet of the visit.
Our family travelled into the city, in Sydney, early one Saturday morning to see the Queen on her first visit to Australia – though, admittedly, it could have been anyone, as I peered over thousands of heads to catch a glimpse in the distance of a woman in a white dress, as she was whisked past the crowd in a black limousine.
“During the tour, crowds were immense; three-quarters of the population of Australia were estimated to have seen her.”
One problem, though, with historical dramas is to know how truthfully the characters are being portrayed.
When I was at school in the 50s and 60s Governor Bligh was portrayed as the devil incarnate and John Macarthur as the hero. By the 80s, those roles had been reversed in the popular media. And now (it seems) both were thoroughly bad.
Portraying historical figures can be problematic.
Hopefully any thinking person will appreciate that, in most cases, any extreme caricature is likely to be less than accurate. Also, if those portrayed are dead and long gone, at least they can no longer be hurt.
But the story gets worse when it comes to those still living.
From the beginning, we were concerned watching “The Crown”, at the way some of the characters were being portrayed, thinking, “How could they possibly know that?”
But especially when we came to view the latest series we were deeply disturbed at the increasingly cruel portrayal of some members of the royal family.
As a disclaimer, I am no rabid monarchist or republican – even though I, along with most others, think the Queen is to be commended for how she has conducted herself throughout the almost 70 years of her long and difficult reign.
I suppose I would be even happier if she, as the Queen of Australia, actually lived here. But, whatever the future holds I respect her, and her heirs, as long as they reign over us.
But that said, we were deeply disturbed at the cruel portrayal of some members of the royal family in the latest series of “The Crown”. The treatment of Prince Charles was especially demeaning: at times he is portrayed as some kind of monster.
It goes without saying that I do not countenance either his, or his wife’s, infidelities. But some of the cruellest depictions of him (and others) emerge in the context of acted out private conversations that the producers could not possibly have been privy too, or been able to verify. But they are included nonetheless.
The problem is that, the medium by which all this is portrayed, and the fact that it deals with events in our lifetime concerning characters who are still living – all this conveys the impression that it is true. This is yet another example of the disturbing increase in recent times of trial by media.
The other, even more serious problem, is the pain and suffering that this inflicts on the living. I know that, if it were I being portrayed this way, for the “entertainment” of millions of viewers – most of whom would unthinkingly believe it was all true – I wouldn’t want to even go on living.
In view of this, and given our natural propensity to spread unverified gossip – even about brothers and sisters in Christ – I thought it would be good to revisit Eph 4:15 “Speak the truth, in love.”
Or, as I put it in a POST more than 1½ years ago: T.H.I.N.K.
T.H.I.N.K. before you SPEAK
1) Is it T rue ?
The first and most important test must always be: Is it TRUE?
This is first in Paul’s list: “Whatever things are true… if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” (Phil 4:8)
When asked if what was portrayed in “The Crown” was all true, it was conceded that it wasn’t all true, but it was “authentic”.
Amy Hunt, in Women & Home explains: “Although the show is ‘true’ in that it is based on events that really did happen and the characters are based on real people, the script is a work of fiction, meaning that the conversations had in the show won’t be an accurate representation of what actually happened.”
But with a lovely post-modern epithet like “authentic”, you can “cover a multitude of sins”. It doesn’t have to be true, as long as it is “authentic”.
This is now a common practice.
In another recent TV series, “Victoria”, as in most film and TV today, a token homosexual has to be included and portrayed in a likeable and sympathetic way. “Robert Peel’s Private Secretary, Edward Drummond, is shown as having a relationship with Lord Alfred Paget, but there’s no evidence that either of the men were gay or had any same-sex relationships.”
“No evidence”, and both men would no doubt have been scandalised and deeply hurt by the portrayal, but it is excused as “authentic” – meaning, though it isn’t true, and casts aspersions on the characters of two historical figures, it is ‘what we would like to think should have been true, even though it wasn’t.’
History is no longer about facts and truth, but about what we would like to think should have happened.
As believers we need to be careful with the truth. Gossip is seldom true – at least, not the whole truth. “The first one to plead his cause seems right, until his neighbour comes and examines him.”(Prov 18:17)
We are obliged to establish factual truth before we repeat a matter. “He who answers a matter before he hears it, it is folly and shame to him.” (Prov 18:13)
Unless you know it is true, don’t repeat it. “Therefore, putting away lying, ‘Let each one of you speak truth with his neighbour,’ for we are members of one another.” (Eph 4:25)
2) Is it H elpful ?
It is not enough that what we repeat is true. Is it HELPFUL?
Even in secular society there is a test of whether it is “in the public interest” – though this tends to be an elastic expression, and abused in our fallen culture.
But, as Christians we must be honest and be persuaded it is helpful to repeat what we hear. “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification.”(Eph 4:29)
“Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.” (1 Cor 14:19)
“Let each of us please his neighbour for his good, leading to edification.” (Rom 15:1-2)
This is especially important when it comes to reporting the sins of fellow Christians or reporting on Christian leaders who have fallen into sin.
This does not mean never reporting another man’s sin.
But it does mean there needs to be a good reason for doing so. (See also: “Is it Necessary?”)
A good reason would be if he is unrepentant and his sin is hurting others by a bad example. “Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear.” (1 Tim 5:20)
Also, helpful means there is a time and place to speak out.
Is this the right time to speak? Is this the best forum in which to address the issue?
3) Is it I n love ?
It might be true. But is it IN LOVE ?
That’s what the Bible says: “Speak the truth in love” !
“In love” means, even if it is “helpful” and “necessary” (next point) to say what you do, you will only do so out of genuine love for others – not, eg. to make yourself look better by bringing another down.
Take the failings of certain Bible characters: they serve as examples to warn us. Despite what some preachers think, it is legitimate to preach from the example of some Bible characters – see 1 Cor 10:6,11; 2 Pet 2:6; Jude 7.
So, we might take up the (bad) example of David in his dealings with Bathsheba and Uriah. But we don’t do so to make ourselves look better. On the contrary, “let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor 10:12) – that is Paul’s own application following his words: “Now all these things happened to them as examples.”
And we rejoice that David was forgiven (Psa 32), and honour him, despite his gross sins, as the man he was: “a man after God’s own heart”. (1 Sam 13:14, cf Acts 13:22)
Similarly we look for the good in others, especially where there has been repentance and forgiveness.
If that is true of bad examples, we will be even more ready to look for, and learn from, good examples we have in Scripture – see Joh 13:15; Jas 5:10; 1 Pet 5:3. “Love does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth” (1 Cor 13:6).
“Whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.” (Phil 4:8)
So, we are encouraged by Joseph’s example in resisting temptation in Genesis 39. Don’t become so focused on looking for a type of Christ in this chapter, that you fail to learn from how Joseph overcame evil because “the Lord was with Joseph…” – the expression that serves as the bookends of, and defines, the chapter (vv 2, 23).
“In love” also means that you THINK about the best possible way to say it:
“Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression, but a good word makes it glad.” (Prov 12:25)
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” (Prov 15:1)
“A man has joy by the answer of his mouth, and a word spoken in due season, how good it is!” (Prov 15:23)
So:
“The tongue of the wise uses knowledge rightly, but the mouth of fools pours forth foolishness. (Prov 15:2)
“The heart of the righteous studies how to answer, but the mouth of the wicked pours forth evil.” (v 28)
This is especially important (and should become second nature) for preachers: “The Preacher sought to find acceptable words; and what was written was upright – words of truth.” (Eccl 12:10)
See further: How to Speak the Truth in Love.
4) Is it N ecessary ?
It might be true. But is it NECESSARY?
Are you going to do some good by telling others?
Recently the Christian world was saddened to hear of the moral failure of Carl Lentz, the celebrity pastor at Hillsong NYC.
Initially, I didn’t think reporting what happened was necessary – at least, not outside the circle of those immediately affected.
Without excusing what he had done, and though nowhere near as much as I felt pain and sorrow for his wife and family, yet I also felt sorry for him when he confessed: “When you lead out of an empty place, you make choices that have real and painful consequences.”
His sinful actions were entirely unjustified, yet most in leadership (self included) have experienced what it feels like at times to “lead out of an empty place”.
But as the extent and enormity of his infidelity came to light, I came to believe that it was helpful and necessary that the Christian world understand better how this keeps on happening when a leader is put on a pedestal and becomes a celebrity.
(For some useful observations on this, see: “The Dark Side of Christian Celebrity” by Tim Challies.)
As before (“Is it Helpful?”), we need to ask: “Is what I am about to say edifying?”
Will it help, or unnecessarily hurt? Be constructive, or destructive?
Sometimes, even though what we say may hurt, it may be necessary. “Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.” (Prov 27:6)
Only let us be persuaded it really is necessary to do so.
5) Is it K ind ?
It might be true. But is it KIND?
Jesus would have us show kindness even to our enemies:
“Love your enemies, do good, and lend, hoping for nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High. For He is kind to the unthankful and evil.” (Luke 6:35)
And certainly we emulate God when we are kind to one another: “Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” (Eph 4:32)
In the latter context, kindness is expressed especially in how we speak to one another: “Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice.”(v 31)
If we fail here, we grieve the Spirit: “And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (v 30)
“Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.
Let all that you do be done with love.”
. (1 Cor 16:13-14)