The judge in a court of law was giving final instructions to the jury of which the writer was a member. The courtroom was tense. The jurors stirred uneasily in their seats. They had heard much conflicting testimony, and soon they would retire to the jury room for deliberations leading to a verdict in a criminal case.
Reassuring were the words of the judge: "Bear in mind that all the testimony you have heard is not necessarily true. A well-intentioned witness may be mistaken in relating what he saw or heard. Remember also that testimony may be given with the deliberate purpose of deceiving or of confusing. It is the duty of the jury to determine the credibility of the witness and to reject false testimony." After her jury service had been completed, the writer often recalled the wise counsel of the judge. She thought how applicable it is to everyday experience, far away from a courtroom, where one is being presented constantly with the testimony of the physical senses.
The need to accept the right and to reject the wrong is age-old. The youthful King Solomon felt the need, as is indicated in his prayer (I Kings 3:9), "Give therefore thy servant an understanding heart... that I may discern between good and bad."
