As tradition would have it wartime news was often bad. News of relatives that had died or that had been seriously injured was (and still is) routine for these soldiers' families. No news was more often than not 'good news'.
The trouble is sometimes, in the rest of life certainly, no news can actually be bad news. For instance, there are many times that we don't get the sort of feedback that would be warranted but for distance, a lack of confidence in the person wanting to give the feedback, or tact or political correctness often get in the way.
We can easily - and falsely - think we're done no wrong and are otherwise on the right track, especially in cases where the vocal minority are particular positive. Even one person can tell us what we want to hear and suddenly our minds are at a false ease. We so seek the approval of others. Is it any good for us to be under false allusions? No, the truth is always better. We should pray that we're not ignorant and, where and when we are, that people might have the gumption to come and respectfully challenge us, in love, bringing truth to bear on these situations, and gracefully so.
Taking Care in Answering
Some questions we're asked are set in eternity. However we respond will command the angels' to go 'on our behalf' and act. The heart makes it so. Not often but certainly sometimes we're asked questions - particularly by those influential ones in our midst-that when answered have lasting consequences for us. Here it is our hearts are often found answering for us, despite what our minds might want to think or believe otherwise.
Here we are noting particularly little (and large) incongruities between what we perhaps covet, finding attractive, and what we truly desire - at times beneath our conscious awareness. So, here enters the covetous detail intermingled with the real heart desire we're perhaps repressing. The latter wins most times for we ultimately cannot repress what our hearts are saying via our actions and body language if they're observed long enough.
Take passion for instance. We cannot invent our passions. They come to us inexplicably, as if something in the heart were some sort of receiver to a notional transponder in the ether - wired are they to certain inner-heart drives. The answers of our hearts are worn on our sleeves whether we like it or not. Finally, if we take care when answering we can answer more congruently, checking off our truest desires and warding against slippery covetousness.
Copyright (c) 2010 S. J. Wickham.
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