The online dictionary Thesaurus.com defines ‘a moment of truth’ as: “The moment at which one’s character, courage, skill etc is put to an extreme test.”
We all Face a moment of truth somewhere along the way. For my Dad, Reginald Foster, a veteran British journalist, such a moment came in January 1963 when the British government launched a public inquiry into a spy scandal that was riveting Britain and indeed much of the world. An Admiralty clerk named John Vassall, under threat of blackmail, had leaked important secrets to the Soviet Union for several years which helped the Soviets modernize their navy.
Called to testify before the tribunal, Dad was given a simple but excruciating choice: Reveal the source of information he had provided for a story in a London daily about Vassall or go to Jail. Dad refused to compromise his integrity or his journalistic ethics and was sent to jail for three months.
For me, I think my ‘moment of truth’ came in the fall of 2013 when the phone rang in our house at around three on a quiet, uneventful afternoon, as I was getting ready to go to the coffee shop.
I picked up the phone, and oh, surprise. The call was from a doctor at Kaiser Permanente who had recently conducted a routine colonoscopy on me.
“I’m sorry,” said the doctor, “but we have the results from your procedure and they show you have colon cancer.”
I’m convinced, indeed I know, that my Dad grew as a man when he faced his fear and held true to his beliefs in the face of dire assault. More of his indomitable spirit was freed up to be expressed through him. More of his innate joy shone through—as shown in a treasured photo that shows him tucking into a celebratory lunch following his release from prison. As shown in the daily letters he sent to my Mum from jail.
I’d like to think that I too have grown, and continue to grow, consequent upon my own ‘moment of truth.’ How about you? Is there a moment in your life that was, or perhaps is, particularly challenging or meaningful for you that you’d be willing to share?
Would love to hear from you. Blessings and love to you, and thank you for reading my blog.
PS: I wonder. Perhaps President Donald Trump had a moment of truth when he saw the horrific images of Syrian children lying helpless and dying following Assad’s chemical weapons attack?
