*MY EARLY MORNING LESSON* TOPIC:: *THERE ARE TWO SIDES TO EVERY STORY...* There are two sides to every story. And if you are not willing to listen to both sides, I beg you, do not be so quick to make a judgment on what you have heard. Because sometimes, what you think you know, what you believe to be right, and what you carry in your heart as truth, may only be a half-truth, and a half-truth, my dear friends, is a whole lie. In a world dominated by one-liners, quick posts, edited screenshots, and selective storytelling, it has become easier than ever to ruin a name, to destroy a friendship, to end a marriage, and to break a family, all because we heard one side and judged the other without giving them a voice. Truth is not always what cries the loudest. Truth is not always what first reaches your ears. Truth is not always what stirs your emotions. Sometimes, truth is silent. It waits. It endures. It hopes that someone, somewhere, will care enough to ask, “What really happened?” I have seen people hated for things they never said. I have seen people punished for actions they never took. I have seen hearts broken, not because they did evil, but because someone told a version of the story that painted them as villains—and no one stopped to ask for the second part of the truth. See, the person who rushes to tell you a story first may not be telling you everything. The person who cries the most may not be the one who suffered the most. And the person they blame may not be the one at fault. If you judge without listening to the other side, you are not seeking truth, you are simply choosing sides. And when you choose sides without truth, you may become a weapon in the hand of the wrong person. Let me remind you of something we often forget: Even Satan had a story to tell in heaven. Even Judas had a version to give. Even the crowd that shouted “Crucify Him!” thought they were right. But truth was not found in the noise. It was nailed to the Cross. So, when you only hear one side of the story, you are standing on one leg, trying to run a race. You are drinking from a broken cup, hoping to quench your thirst with something incomplete. A half-truth is not harmless. It is not neutral. It is deceptive. It is misleading. It is deadly. A half-truth can destroy a marriage. A half-truth can break a child. A half-truth can split a community, turn friends into enemies, and push someone to depression. So before you speak, listen. Before you judge, investigate. Before you take sides, seek the whole truth. Be the person who listens with both ears. Be the friend who says, “I won’t condemn them until I have heard from them.” Be the one who understands that every human being deserves a chance to explain, to be heard, and to be understood. Don't justice without fairness is cruelty. Understanding without patience is manipulation. And truth without balance is not truth at all. There are always two sides. And if you only hear one, you are not holding the truth… you are holding a shadow of it. And in the end, a shadow is not the sun. A lie, even wrapped in emotion, is still a lie. And a half-truth… is a whole lie. Your servant, _@ Fr. Albert Nwosu (Nwachinemere)_