The Preacher Spring 1990

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Speaking the truth is a lot harder than it used to be. It's not that I consciously want to lie. But there are times, as a preacher, when the truth I intend to speak falls victim to subtle abuse. In reflecting on my own preaching, I've noticed six ways I have unwittingly abused the truth.

One morning as I opened the mail, I came across a letter from a member of our parish. I felt the blush rush to my cheeks as I read it. The writer explained that I had used schizophrenic inaccurately. This was particularly disturbing to her because she suffered from schizophrenia. Reading her gentle rebuke, I remembered the sermon in which I had committed this gaffe.

I had preached what I thought was a clever sermon about the love of God, saying, among other things, that we must discard any notion that sets the holiness of God against the love of God. "God is not," I said, "schizophrenic."

Thinking back to the preparation of the sermon, I recalled feeling a slight twinge of doubt about using schizophrenic in this context. I knew the technical meaning of the word was different from the popular meaning given it. But I had shuttled this doubt aside because the line was too memorable to discard. So it was: memorable, and wrong.

Holding the letter in my hand, I began to consider how I should answer it-with all the sensitivity I could muster, of course, but more, with gratitude. This woman had, in the midst of pain I had caused her, lovingly and thoughtfully rebuked me. She reminded me that preaching is not designed to entertain or provoke interest at the expense of truth. Were it not for the matter of confidentiality, I would frame this letter and put it on the wall above my writing table as a continuing reminder.

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