“...We have spoken honestly with you and our hearts are open to you.”
2 Corinthians 6:11
One of the things I learned from my parents growing up was to always to be straight in any dealings I have in life. Whether this was with family, friends, organisations or anyone else, it didn’t matter.
Whilst this was not always easy in every circumstance, the reasoning was that if you were honest, upfront and open, then there is no comeback and you can’t then be wrongly accused of anything later by anybody.
When dealing with one another in community, we need to be honest. We need to keep our hearts open with one another.
We need to play with a straight bat.
Often, it’s not always the easy option as there is a sense of vulnerability here as we open up to one another but it is the environment in which trust is built and this creates the solid foundation for community life. It takes time and, let’s face it, courage at times to do it.
But it is worth it in the end, because the community will end up strengthened as a result and we all gain from that.