Discretion/Honesty

When life presents us with a racking conflict like this (revealing a harmful truth), we cannot be altogether blamed if we are confused. In fact, our very first responsibility is to admit that we are confused. We may have to confess that, for the time being, we have lost all ability to tell right from wrong. Most difficult too, will be the admission that we cannot be certain of receiving God’s guidance because our prayers are so cluttered with wishful thinking. Surely this is the point at which we must seek the counsel of our finest friends. There is nowhere else to go.

The Best of Bill, p. 33

۞

Where do I find such trusted and finest friends? I look around and I see folks who are often as confused as I am about such matters and have their own predilections to lean towards gossip instead of an honest sharing of a helpful truth about a situation or person. These confusing dilemmas rarely happen at my own convenience and usually when I have no trusted friend around to share them with. If I do nothing a greater harm might come about and I’m hard set to make that judgment towards taking any action at all.

    I know a man with whom I worked closely that was given a job having tremendous responsibility way over his head. To this day I’m not sure whether he was guilty of downright embezzlement or simply bad bookkeeping. Because I’d worked closely with him, when his books were audited, I was often asked if I knew anything about what he’d been up to. The truth was that I’d had my suspicions but I feared that by confronting him personally and falsely accusing him, I’d cause him more harm than good. Furthermore, had I shared my suspicions with anyone in our close knit community, even my most trusted friends, I knew it was hugely possible that the rumor mill might have caused even more harm. Doing nothing in these situations is sometimes the hardest of all things to do.

   These are the dilemmas that are shared with the greatest discretion… outside of the community if possible. I was advised both ways… to hold my peace and, conversely, to tell someone of authority in our community. I have found that there are times when I have to lean heavily on prayer and meditation where no human power will do. It always comes down to taking personal responsibility above all else.

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