Hiding the Truth
Sunday 26th May 2024
… so they sowed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves …
… and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden …
The man said, ‘The woman you put here with me –
she gave me some fruit from the tree and I ate it.’
Genesis 3:7,8,12 (NIV)
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
Hiding the Truth
Earlier this week, the final report of the inquiry into the infected blood scandal in the UK was published – although it has been somewhat overshadowed by the announcement of a General Election. Thousands of people died after being treated with unsafe blood products between 1970 and 1991. Many more fell ill, with more than 30,000 people infected with HIV or hepatitis C.
What is most shocking is that it was mostly avoidable, and yet again and again the truth was hidden. One of the report’s most damning quotes was that, “Sometimes the truth was hidden by a treating clinician. Sometimes it was hidden by an organisation. Sometimes it was hidden by the civil service. Sometimes it was hidden by (and sometimes from) politicians.” It seems a lot of truth was hidden.
It is sobering that this report should come out while the inquiry into the Post Office scandal is running, which is another case of uncomfortable truths being covered up. How should we respond?
We can be thankful that at least these things are at last being investigated, albeit after many years and with a long delay in paying compensation to victims, and not until after many have died. But at least they are not being totally swept under the carpet.
We can be sobered that such things should happen here. Those of us who are British tend be proud of our rule of law and the relative lack of corruption in our nation. It turns out that we are not so different or special after all. We should never have thought we were.
We can be encouraged that the Bible’s account of human nature is accurate. In our studies in Genesis, we have not yet reached chapter 3, but once we do we shall see that hiding the truth and shifting the blame come naturally to human beings who have turned their backs on their Creator and hidden from themselves the fundamental truth that he is God and we are accountable to him. Once we have hidden that truth, it seems there is no truth we will not hide.
God of truth, you always speak the truth and you cannot lie; teach us to love the truth, wherever we find it, and not to hide it, whether from ourselves or from others. Amen.
Yours warmly, in Christ,
Chris Hobbs (Senior Minister)