“How can you tell whether ____ is lying? Easy, when his lips move.” An old joke, but unfortunately too true and too common, it seems. It’s gotten to the point it’s difficult to know what’s truth and what’s a lie anymore. Photos and video can be altered to present whatever you want reality to be.
And it’s not just people in the public eye like politicians, lawyers, and “fake news”. It seems to me that many people aren’t too bothered by say whatever is convenient to suit their purpose of the moment, or to keep them out of trouble. Sometimes people even lie to themselves if the truth is too painful to face.
As Isaiah said, “Justice is turned away backward, and righteousness stands far away; for truth has fallen in the street, and uprightness can’t enter.” (Isaiah 59:14)
When I was growing up, Daddy told me that when he and my mom got married in their early twenties he only had $21.00 in his pocket. Not a lot to start off on, even in the1950’s. They needed some basic furniture, so they went to the store and picked out a bedroom suite and dining room suite. There was no way they could pay for it on the spot, but Daddy stuck out his hand and told the salesman, “I give you my word.” He said the salesman looked at him in surprise and said, “I haven’t heard that in a long time.” He was so impressed that he sold the furniture to my parents, confident that the debt would be paid. And Daddy kept his word.
How many people do you trust? Personally, I don’t like feeling that I have to take what someone says with a grain of salt and second guess whether I can believe them. The Bible tells us over and over again to deal honestly with one another.
And for me, my Daddy’s words echo in my mind, “I give you my word.”