Photo by Eden, Janine and Jim

By April Yamasaki

As I write this, it is the eve of another federal election in Canada. Key issues include climate policy, pipelines, taxes, the economy, pharmacare to cover medication expenses, childcare, Indigenous policy, immigration. But in the midst of all of these, the issue of truthfulness seems to come up again and again.

Did the Prime Minister pressure the Justice Minister and Attorney General to interfere in a criminal prosecution? He said the report was “false,” but on examination of the evidence the ethics commissioner noted several “troubling” attempts to influence the judicial process. Did the Leader of the Opposition mispresent himself in repeatedly listing his experience as an insurance broker? After all, while he had completed his accreditation, he never actually received his licence. Who is telling the truth, and whom can we trust?

Similarly across the border, the issue of truthfulness is very much a part of the political landscape. As of October 9, 2019, Fact Checker’s database says that President Trump has made “13,435 false or misleading claims” since the start of his presidency. Have we entered an era of post-truth politics in a post-truth world as some say?

In this context, I find Aristotle’s ancient definition of truthfulness refreshing. But since I’m a long way from my university philosophy class, of course I had to do a Google search. In his Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle writes that being truthful means calling “a thing by its own name, being truthful both in life and in word, owning to what [one] has, and neither more nor less.” Being truthful means being honest — not deceitful or manipulative. It means both telling the truth and living with integrity. Instead of boasting or projecting a false modesty, truthfulness means being who you are and owning up to that.

All of this resonates well with my reading of Scripture. In John 1:47, Jesus commends Nathanael as “an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.” Romans 12:3 urges “everyone among you not to think of yourself more highly than you ought to think, but to think with sober judgment.” Philippians 4:8 adds, “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” We are to speak and live with integrity, with “truthfulness” as Aristotle puts it.

I don’t know what the outcome of the Canadian election will be, and I don’t know what will happen with the impeachment inquiry in the United States. But for both our countries, I appreciate and offer this prayer:

Give our politicians keen hearing to hear the cries of the poor.
Give our politicians sharp vision to see the long-term effect of policies.
Give our politicians plain speech to speak the truth.
Give our politicians clean hands to withstand corruption.
Give our politicians honest hearts that are eager to right injustice. Amen.

April Yamasaki is an ordained minister with twenty-five years of pastoral ministry experience, and the author of Four Gifts: Seeking Self-care for Heart, Soul, Mind, and Strength; Sacred Pauses: Spiritual Practices for Personal Renewal; and other books on Christian living. She currently serves as Resident Author with Valley CrossWay Church in Abbotsford, British Columbia, and as Editor of Purpose, a monthly magazine of everyday inspiration. For more information, see aprilyamasaki.com and WhenYouWorkfortheChurch.com.