By Danny Minton

While slowly moving through a foggy night, a ship moved across the sea when the crew spotted a light directly ahead of them and received a message.

“Please turn your vessel 10 degrees port.”

Felling superior, the captain replied, “Turn 10 degrees starboard.”

“Turn 10 degrees port,” came the reply.

“This is U. S. Navy Captain T. Jones; turn 10 degrees starboard.” Came the frustrating response.

“This is Coast Guard Ensign J. Smith; turn 10 degrees port.” Came a snappy reply.

Angrily, the Captain replied. “Ensign, we are a U.S.N. battleship, turn 10 degrees starboard.”

Through the foggy night came the reply, “Captain, we are a lighthouse, turn 10 degrees port.”

This short situation represents what it’s like when someone doesn’t know all the information needed to make a wise decision. Instead, it represents someone who thinks he is right without full knowledge. We live in a world where it has become common for people to make decisions, get into arguments, or become confused because of the failure to share or seek complete information to make wise decisions. Sometimes, our arrogance and desire for something to be true overshadows our desire to seek the truth, resulting in false information often passed around.

I remember growing up and playing a game in school where the teacher whispered something in a student’s ear to pass on to the next student. Each classmate passed it on by whispering what they heard to the next person until it had gone through the class. Ultimately, the final person was to say out loud what he was told. In every case, what was said differed from what the teacher had first said. The only way to know what was said was for the original source, in this case, the teacher, to tell what she said. 

Many things on the internet that are reported as facts are often misquoted or only tell part of the story. With current photo software, people can change anything in a picture to fit what they want it to represent. The scenarios we see in words and pictures cannot be trusted without researching and discovering the initial source. Media often only presents part of the stories, frequently stirring controversy by focusing on one aspect. As a result of all these things, opinions are formed that are often misguided, biased, and untrue because of not taking the time to look at the whole picture.

You may have heard some say, “The Bible says money is the root of all evil.” That phrase has often been repeated by people trying to say it’s wrong to be rich when, in fact, the phrase is not accurate. The actual verse is in I Timothy 6, “The LOVE of money is the  root of all kinds of evil.” It’s a simple change, but it makes a tremendous difference in how we view things. A word left out or added, a quote taken out of context, an altered picture, an unsubstantiated rumor, or even an outright lie causes division among people. 

In the Bible, the people from Beroea exhibited an excellent example of how we should approach the Bible and everything else in life. After hearing Paul’s words, the scripture tells us, “And the brethren immediately sent away Paul and Silas by night unto Beroea: who when they were come thither went into the synagogue of the Jews. Now these were more noble than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness of the mind, examining the Scriptures daily, whether these things were so.” Acts 17:10-11 (ASV)

Many scriptures warn us to be careful about what we say and how we say it. Passing on impartial or misleading information can destroy relationships, dividing family and friends. One of the strongest passages comes from Proverbs 16:27, “A scoundrel plots evil, and on their lips it is like a scorching fire. A perverse person stirs up conflict, and a gossip separates close friends. A violent person entices their neighbor and leads them down a path that is not good. Whoever winks with their eye is plotting perversity; whoever purses their lips is bent on evil.”

Before believing everything you see and hear at first appearance and especially before passing anything on, take the time to search out and ensure you know the whole truth. Some may remember the old TV show Dragnet and Joe Friday saying, “Just the facts, ma’am, just the facts.” Well, the original Joe Friday never actually said it that way. He actually said, “All we want are the facts, ma’am.” The point is that before we speak and pass on what we’ve read, heard, or seen, we should ensure that what we share is the whole truth. 

 “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in thy sight, O Jehovah, my rock, and my redeemer.” Psalm 19:14 (ASV)

Danny Minton is a former Elder and minister at Southern Hills Church of Christ