BLACK & WHITE LIES!

Leander was listening to TED TALKS last night. I was doing my meditation and instead of asking him to use his headphones, I let my mind focus on the talk instead of pursuing a thoughtless state of mind! It was about LIES and how to spot a LIAR! As usual, we discussed this topic over dinner and I was surprised how the ‘modern liar’ has mastered the art of deception even to pass the lie detection test!

That made me mull over what the Bible had to say about lying -

Proverbs 6:16-19 says, "These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him: A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief, A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren."

Everyone tells a white lie on occasion, it’s just a question of why.  Some white lies save relationships, some ease a hectic situation, and others buy us time.  The list could go on forever.  Stretching the truth is a natural component of human instinct because it’s the easy way out.  We all do it, so there is no reason to deny it.  “As long as we aren’t hurting others or breaking the law, these innocent lies can make life more pleasant”- is our justification for our lies! 

Deceit, lying, and falsehoods lie at the very heart of our cultural heritage. As the moral climate of our society has been deteriorating, lying has become a major problem. The business world is particularly plagued by this problem--men’s dishonesty with each other. Even God’s ministers are not immune and many of them are infected with it.

The Bible is filled with admonitions against being dishonest and lying. One of the Ten Commandments states:

"Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour." Exodus 20:16

Let us examine our own lives to see if we are infected with the same disease. What kind of witness are we to those around us? Are we deceived and have we become liars ourselves? The Bible also lists this sin of lying as one that can lead us to hell along with some other grievous ones.

Revelation 21:7-8 says, "He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death."

A LIE IS A LIE EVEN IF SPOKEN IN LATIN!