The talented character actor Walter Brennan (1894-1974) has to be everyone’s favorite actor – that is, of course, if you are old enough to remember him. There is a generation gap as far as younger folks enjoying ole time movies and TV. He starred in a television western, “The Guns of Will Sonnett,” 50 episodes from 1967 to 1969.
One of the catch phrases that ole Will Sonnett (Walter Brennan) used, if my memory is on track, was, “No brag – just fact.” With that said, Will Sonnett could lay it on thick, getting to the point and telling it like it is. To be a vain boaster, bragger is a negative character trait. The idea behind the character Will Sonnett was that he told the truth and should not be mistaken as a boasting braggart. He was stating a fact that he was not a bragger, but was telling the truth. I am afraid such a time of telling the truth and the whole truth may have slipped through the crack somewhere.
As I ponder this statement, “No brag – just fact,” I recall a friend of mine that had this trait of telling it like it is. He would listen to a bunch of men yapping away on subjects they knew little or nothing about. Finally, he would calmly state something like, “No, that’s not correct!” He would then quickly, with few words, logically lay down the facts, correcting the blab.
Our Lord Denounced Hypocrisy, Deceit,
Falsehood and the Boasting Attitude
“And he said unto them in his doctrine, Beware of the scribes, which love to go in long clothing, and love salutations in the market places. And the chief seats in the synagogues, and the uppermost rooms at feasts: Which devour widow’s houses, and for a pretense make long prayers: these shall receive greater damnation” (Mark 12:38-40).
Love of Truth Must Be Part of Our Character
“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness” (Romans 1:18).
Our God Is Light and Truth
“This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin” (1 John 1:5-7).
Facts of the Gospel
“Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; by which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how the Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures; and that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the Scripture” (1 Corinthians 15:1-4).
Truth Will Stand
“Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently: being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever (1 Peter 1:22-23) “and ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32).
“Facts are facts and will not disappear on account of your likes” Jawaharlal Nehru (1889 – 1964).
