Many contemporary Christians are reluctant to speak the truth. They have accepted the notion that truth is divisive and that claiming to know the truth is arrogant. They want to be inclusive and show love and be compassionate. That’s all great. But, in the meantime, the truth of the Gospel is dying in the streets. If you’re a Christian concerned about marginalizing those who don’t accept the truth through your words, you won’t be left with much to say. And some Christian “leaders” think that’s a good thing.

Meet Richard Rohr

Richard Rohr is a Franciscan priest — a modern day Christian mystic who teaches “contemplation … self-emptying … and radical compassion, particularly for the socially marginalized.” Because he calls us to be compassionate, Rohr has become the “go-to guy” for presenting the story of Christianity to the world around us. That’s a subject for another time. But I bring him up because I saw him quoted as saying the following:

Jesus is asked over 183 questions in the Gospels and only answers 3 of them. We are not meant to be answer givers.

~ Richard Rohr

Someone shared the quote on Facebook and I was amazed by how many people were enamored with its wisdom and relevance. So, I joined in the conversation to discuss the quote’s legitimacy. I asked why someone would consider the quote so wonderful … but no one would give me an answer. Apparently, they really weren’t meant to be answer givers.

Always Be Prepared To Give An Answer

I don’t know anything about Richard Rohr. I do know that as a professing Christian, the idea that we are not to be “answer givers” is indefensible. It stands in complete opposition to what the Bible actually says in 1 Peter 3:15 …

“always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect.”

Not only does Rohr’s aphorism fly in the face of what the Bible says, it also denies what the Apostles actually did. When Jesus gave them the Great Commission in Matthew 28, they carried it out. They went all over the world and preached the Gospel. Paul himself made it a point to “reason with them from the Scriptures” in every town he entered. He debated the professional philosophers in Athens and the religious leaders in the backwater towns of Galatia. He got beaten up and left for dead because of it.

You don’t get beaten up unless you’re giving answers somebody doesn’t want to hear.

Invoking Assisi

Richard Rohr’s quip is a reflection of a trend that has become popular within the church at large. We seem to think that getting along with others is preferable to telling the truth. Many who promote this idea do so by attributing this kind of thinking to St. Francis of Assisi. They like to offer this as his most famous saying:

“Preach the gospel always, if necessary, use words.”

You can see this little aphorism repeated everywhere and it sounds pretty cool. Plenty of well-meaning Christians use it to emphasize that actions speak louder than words. Like Richard Rohr, they even seem to imply that talking the talk may be detrimental to the cause. “Keep your mouth shut,” the quip seems to tell us, “and just walk the walk.”

On one level there is no arguing with this simple fact. I have written elsewhere about the idea that “who you are speaks so loudly that no one hears what you say.” We certainly don’t want the life we lead to deny everything we claim to represent. We can, in fact, diminish the message to insignificance by our own hypocrisy.

But does that mean the reverse is true? Can we proclaim the message through our actions alone?

A Message Without Words?

Here’s the problem: the Good News (a.k.a. the Gospel) is a propositional truth claim about the nature of the world, the nature of man, and the remedy for man’s rebellion against God. It’s a story about how God created us, how we rebelled against him, and his personal offer to redeem us. It’s a story about reality. No one has to accept it. But it’s only “good news” if it’s actually true. So here is my question: How can we relay such a message and explain its implications without using words?

We can’t.

There is no denying that our actions should represent the truth of the Gospel message. But that doesn’t change the fact that it is a message that needs pronouncement.

Misquoting Assisi

I honestly don’t know the context of St. Francis’s quip. But I find it hard to believe that a thinker like him meant it in the way contemporary Christians use it. A little research confirms this. For starters, we have the quote wrong! What Francis actually said was:

“Preach the Gospel always and when necessary use words.”

Notice that St. Francis himself did not render preaching of the gospel as a contingent option. He didn’t separate it from the act of living it out. Contrary to the popular version of his quote, he didn’t say, “if necessary.” He said, “when necessary.” Francis linked the preaching and the actions directly together. We are the ones who have attributed an improper context to his words. I find it ironic that Francis of Assisi founded the Franciscan Order to which Richard Rohr belongs. And it turns out Rohr is misapplying Assisi’s words.

Assisi Used Words

It is also interesting that Francis of Assisi (birth name: Giovanni Francesco di Bernardone) devoted himself to the kind of life for which he is now known … after being convicted by a sermon he heard in 1209. Francis committed himself to a life of poverty. He felt connected to nature and the beauty of the creation. He felt empathy for others. But all these were rooted in a sense of community and shared redemption that he learned through study and experience. In fact, St. Francis himself was known for the powerful sermons he delivered. He lived out the Gospel, and he told others about it with his words! Apparently, St. Francis of Assisi not only asked a lot of questions, he answered quite a few himself.

Please, Give Them Answers

It is fashionable these days to label those who defend the gospel with logic, philosophy, and confidence as being arrogant. But let’s not over-spiritualize or look down our collective noses at the relevancy of proclaiming the truth. Preaching the gospel and living out the gospel are not mutually exclusive projects. Our choice is not an “either/or” dilemma — it is a “both/and” duty.

One has to wonder how in the world anyone could have read the Bible and come to the conclusion that we shouldn’t be “answer givers.” The reality is that the post-Christian, post-truth world we live in demands that we demonstrate grace, but also that we deliver the truth.

And that includes giving answers.

Proclaim the Gospel with your life, please. But, while you’re at it, use words and answer questions. The world is watching, but it’s listening too.