“Do not testify falsely against your neighbor.” – Exodus 20:16 (CEB)
This commandment was first about a courtroom, where a person’s life could hang on whether their neighbors told the truth. But it reaches into every conversation we have about people who aren’t in the room. The rumor we pass along. The story we shape to make ourselves look better. The detail we leave out on purpose.
A community runs on being able to trust what people say. When truth erodes, everything erodes with it, and the people hurt most are the ones with the least power to defend themselves. Telling the truth about your neighbor is an act of love, especially when a lie would be easier or more interesting. Today, guard your words about the people who aren’t present. Speak about them the way you would want spoken about.
God of truth, guard my mouth. Let me speak about others with honesty and care, and let me defend the truth about those who cannot defend themselves. In Jesus’ name. Amen.