The Naked Truth

And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love.

– 2 John 6

First published in 1837, The Emperor’s New Clothes is a beloved short story by Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. He wrote that there was once an emperor whose life revolved around fashion. This ruler even had a stylish outfit for every hour of the day. So it happened that two swindlers — claiming to be master weavers — arrived at his castle. And they assured the chic royal that they could tailor a unique suit of clothes for him from the magnificent cloth they would weave.

The emperor agreed to the frauds’ terms and gave them an extravagant down payment to begin their work. Eager to learn about his outfit’s status, the emperor sent his prime minister to inspect the tailors’ progress. Much to the prime minister’s surprise, he found only empty looms. But he was afraid to reveal his ignorance when the conmen asked for his thoughts about the imaginary fabric’s vivid colors and pattern. The prime minister replied that he was very impressed with their craftsmanship. And then he complied with the tailors’ new demands for more money and gold thread to complete their work.

“Is not the cloth magnificent?" asked two high government officials when the emperor came to view the progress for himself. "See here, the splendid pattern, the glorious colors," they proclaimed. Each pointed to the empty looms. And each thought that the others could see the material. 

"What can this mean?" said the Emperor to himself. "Am I so stupid? Am I not fit to be Emperor? This is disastrous," he thought. But aloud he said, "Oh, the cloth is perfectly wonderful. It has a splendid pattern and such charming colors." And he nodded his approval, smiled appreciatively, and stared at the empty looms.

The day soon came for the emperor’s grand procession — the celebrated occasion when His Majesty would reveal his new suit of clothes. As he walked by, the emperor’s subjects could only gasp at the spectacle. Silence enveloped the room. But no one dared to proclaim the remarkable sight before their eyes. Finally, a little boy pointed at the emperor and stated the obvious:

“Look!” said the youth. “The emperor has nothing on.”

It’s a lesson for every Christ-follower: Real love and truth belong together. And because love cares about people, it also cares about what’s true — which means love requires discernment. Hans Christian Andersen’s nearly 200-year-old tale also says much about our modern society. Its well-intentioned characters followed the politically correct path and told the emperor what he wanted to hear. But it took a naïve child to reveal the naked truth.