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“The one who first states a case seems right, until the other comes and cross-examines.” –– Proverbs 18:17
“If one gives answer before hearing, it is folly and shame.” –– Proverbs 18:13
Seldom has the North/South divide been more exquisitely parodied than in the comedic genius of the classic film, My Cousin Vinny. Vinny is a streetwise, but uncredentialed legal novice from the heart of Brooklyn going up against a veteran, irascible judge in small town Alabama. Though Vinny, who is defending his falsely accused cousin, comes completely ill-equipped, he begins to find his legal legs as the court case develops, even finding the confidence and clarity to rise to an objection before the towering, intimidating judge:
Vinny – “I object to this witness being called at this time. We have been given no prior notice that he would testify; no discovery of any tests he’s conducted or reports he’s filed, and as the court is well aware, the defense is entitled to advance notice of any witness who would testify, particularly for those who would give scientific information, so that we could properly prepare for cross-examination … and challenge the veracity of his conclusions”
Judge – “That is a lucid, intelligent, well thought out objection … Overruled.”
Impressive rhetoric does not necessarily result in persuasion, engender trust, or guarantee truth. Many lives have been shattered and fortunes lost because someone’s words, though convincing, proved to be empty. I once heard a noted public leader referred to as “an unctuous tongued devil.” That certainly wasn’t a complete assessment of a complicated individual, and there was some truth in the appraisal, for he possessed a talent for making someone feel as the most heard and seen person on the planet, which more often than not made them pliable to his agenda and a tool for his profit.
Our reality is that we tend to be more gullible and less perceptive than we think. Advertisers know that, and our economy and politics are in no small way dependent on that. So many things happen, both to our good and our ill, because we’re too tired or too distracted to expend the energy necessary for discernment. Or, instead of study, contemplation, or the willingness to hear other perspectives, we latch on to the first voice that pulls on the heartstrings of our bias. It comes down to a question of sourcing. What source can challenge your bias, calm your insecurities, equip you to listen, and empower you to discern your environment, draw nearer to truth, and pursue the good? When Jesus said, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through me,” he wasn’t throwing out a litmus test for insider status or a passcode for eternity. Rather, Jesus was offering the user’s guide for this life given to us by God. “God's love was revealed among us in this way: God sent his only Son into the world so that we might live through him … God is love, and those who abide in love abide in God, and God abides in them.” This is the lens through which we find our way, filter truth, and discover life.
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