What is the best excuse you have heard lately?
No Excuses: A Reflection on Truth, Trust, and Consequence
Is “best” the right word to describe an “excuse”?
If “excuse” is used as a genuine reason—a legitimate, factual explanation for a misstep or absence, such as “I was late due to a severe traffic accident”—then it is not really an excuse at all. It is, more properly, an explanation, a ground for being excused. But if it is deployed as an evasion—a mechanism to shift blame, dismiss personal responsibility, or sidestep accountability—then it deserves careful scrutiny and firm guard.
On a lighter note, we also use “excuse me” as a polite buffer for interruptions, or to ask forgiveness in crowded spaces. But in its heavier usage, the word “excuse” carries a decidedly negative connotation—even when the reason given is genuine enough to warrant forgiveness. The issue lies not in the reason, but in the spirit with which it is offered.
Let me illustrate.
Some years ago, I attended a household party hosted by an American friend. The day before the gathering, he asked his domestic helper to fill the ice cube trays in the freezer. She forgot. The next day, when no ice was available to chill the drinks, she told her boss that she had indeed filled the trays—but that all the ice cubes had evaporated. Obviously, she knew little of science: ice cannot evaporate in a freezer compartment within a single day. An honest admission of her oversight might have earned understanding and forgiveness. Instead, her lie fractured the trust between them—far more damaging than the absence of ice itself.
Scripture tells us that the very first excuse was made by Adam, the first man. When confronted, he blamed the woman—and ultimately, God Himself. His evasion brought a curse into the world. Had Adam admitted his guilt honestly, his own destiny—and the destiny of all mankind—might have been irrevocably altered (Genesis 3).
An excuse that shifts blame or dismisses personal responsibility erodes the very fabric of humanity. No excuses are the best excuses, for they destroy trust in relationships—between people, and between God and His people. When excuses become habitual, they harden into lies. And lies, once habitual, tarnish every word we speak and stunt every growth we seek.
As Scripture reflects:
“The truthful lip shall be established forever,
But a lying tongue is but for a moment.”
— Proverbs 12:19
And again:
“Those who deal truthfully are His delight.”
— Proverbs 12:22
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✨ Reaping What One Sows ✨
Paper cannot hide the fire’s glow,
The fox’s tail will always show.
A horse’s mettle time will test,
A heart’s true worth through years is guessed.
The one who wears a borrowed face—
His truest self leaves not a trace
Within the shadow he has spun,
But in the light he dares not shun.
Is speed for gain the modern lore
We pass to Y and Z—and more?
They run before they learn to stand,
Then blame the ground, or fate’s cold hand.
Where are the Boomers? Where is X?
The slack of those who came before
Now bears its fruit on this strange shore—
A harvest none can well forget.
Who makes his peace with falsehood’s art
Shall eat the sorrows of his heart.
A generation’s own decay—
Its seeds were sown, and come what may,
The reaping finds us all today.
—
Final Word
This poem is not merely a critique of excuses—it is a lament for a culture that has forgotten that truth is the currency of trust. The best excuse, in the end, is no excuse—not because mistakes are unforgivable, but because honesty alone is the ground upon which forgiveness can grow. When we stop making excuses, we begin to grow. When we stop blaming, we begin to heal. And when we speak the truth—even in our failures—we restore what excuses always destroy: the trust that holds humanity together.
May these reflections shed light on the greater good for us all.
—
en yan hua fang 