Answerizing

For more commentary on this week's readings, see the Reflections on the Lectionary page, which includes Childress's current Living by the Word column as well as past magazine and blog content. For full-text access to all articles, subscribe to the Century.

Some years ago, a small group in our church watched the award-winning documentary The Fog of War, in which former secretary of defense Robert McNamara talks about his life, especially the Vietnam War. At one point McNamara says this:

Never answer the question that is asked; always answer the question that you want asked. That is an important rule that I learned to follow and I still follow it to this day.