Dear Editor,

The creator and maker of mankind gave us sage advice because he wants us to benefit ourselves. One great advice given is on speaking the truth to each other.

In Ephesians 4:25, he tells us: “Therefore, each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to your neighbour, for we are all members of one body.”

Many tragedies have resulted from withholding or distorting the truth. The current outbreak of coronavirus starting in Wuhan, China, and spreading rapidly across the world is a case that proves the value of the unadulterated truth that benefits a nation and the world.

As the virus raged in Wuhan, the governor of that province, along with many in big government, decided to put a lid on the truth.

A selfless doctor, Dr Chen Qiushi, seeing the danger to the unsuspecting population, decided to speak out.

He was silenced, humiliated, and unjustly forced to apologise to the population for lying and mischief-making. The result is that the Government failed to contain an epidemic that now threatens the world, and many have lost billions in trade and sustained tarnished reputation which will be hard to rebuild.

We had the same situation in Jamaica with the chikungunya outbreak, and, more recently, the dengue outbreak.

It is a lesson all of us can and should take to heart: Speaking the truth benefits us all; both the speaker and those who listen to it. A lie may yield us temporary benefits, but, eventually, the cost will outweigh any such benefit. This is a universal law.

Novlette Myers

nhemyers@hotmail.com