GETTING THE WHOLE TRUTH FIRST

Joshua 21:1-22:20; Luke 20:1-26; Psalm 89:1-13; Proverbs 13:15-16

“The rest of Israel heard that the people of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh had built an altar at Geliloth at the edge of the land of Canaan, on the west side of the Jordan River. So the whole community of Israel gathered at Shiloh and prepared to go to war against them. First, however, they sent a delegation led by Phinehas son of Eleazar, the priest, to talk with the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and the half-tribe of Manasseh.”

“They demanded, ‘By what authority are you doing all these things? Who gave you the right?’”

“A person with good sense is respected;
a treacherous person is headed for destruction.”

It’s downright disturbing that we have an over 3000 year history of drawing the worst possible conclusions about our brothers and sisters. We claim stunned amazement at how quickly the West-of-the Jordan Israelites turned on their east-of-the-Jordan family. But our fuses are no longer.  Checking the facts seems to be a courtesy few are willing to extend anymore (if they ever did). It is much easier to shoot first and ask questions later, and takes far less character. But we need to remember that, if the Israelites had stood on their prejudices and snap judgments, it is possible the fledging nation would have destroyed itself before it had begun. And Christmas itself could have quite different.

I think, without knowing, that Phinehas the priest understood the dangerous precipice his people approached as they stood on the banks of the Jordan judging their cousins across the water. He didn’t draw any conclusions. Instead, he slowed things down and took the time to lead a delegation to investigate the facts through direct, personal contact and communication with the accused.  He allowed his brethern to defend themselves before condemning them. As a result, his people as a whole avoided a tragic mistake, and his country was spared from what would have been a devastating civil war.  There’s a lot to be learned from his example.

I first grasped the lesson as a baby lawyer but in something of a backwards fashion. Us “kids” in the Firm I was with at the time were given the very dregs of the available legal work. These were cases and clients none of the more senior folks wanted to mess with. At that level, more dubious claims and defenses existed than there were attorneys to screen them. So, I ended up with… oh, let’s just call him Fred. In short, Fred had started his own business, sold it while retaining a consulting position and then was accused of stealing the new owners’ customers and contractors for a competing business Fred set up. I was told the claims of the opposition were simply an effort to avoid lawful competition: there were no written contracts; Fred had been an exemplary consultant who taught the owners all they knew; and all it got him was disrespect and grossly unfair and shabby treatment. He had no choice but to leave and try to compete. The bad guys were trying to starve him out. I have learned since that when a client so loudly proclaims injustice and oppression, there is usually more than a grain of truth and reason in the opposition’s position. But then, I fell hard for his story and just prepared to throw my whole self into a brilliant defense that would set the world straight. Right up until opposing counsel produced a non-competition agreement Fred had signed and pulled a baggie out of John’s briefcase (which he had left behind in his haste to leave) containing roughly a gram of a fine, white powdery substance. Fred denied the baggie was his in deposition, and then laughed about lying when the deposition was over.

The take-away from both stories is the same. Investigate the facts first. When we draw conclusions before we know the facts, we likely will create or face far worse problems as a result. There is just no substitute for an ol’ face to face discussion of the circumstances. So, let’s give our fellow humans a break. Let’s ask the tough questions up front. See reality clearly before making a judgment call. And never, never make the mistake of believing your own side on the force of their passion or rhetoric. For one reason or another, we can be next to certain we’ll be glad we got the facts right first.