In our current political and social climate, lying is a hot topic. There is a “Pinocchio” scale that rates lies according to how far away from the truth a lie veers. The gold medal for politicians and government officials telling a truth gets a “Geppetto Checkmark.” The Apostle Paul wrote to the Ephesian Christian congregation: “We must no longer be children, tossed to and fro and blown about by every wind of doctrine, by people’s trickery, by their craftiness in deceitful scheming.” (4:15)

Fact-Checkers are in great demand these days; but, sadly, people pick and choose which facts they want to check.

In the Christian Bible, Jesus tells his disciples: “You will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” (John 8:32). Yet, we are a people who easily fall into the trap of lies. Those who benefit from telling lies, bombard us with lies; and, when those lies benefit us, we eagerly believe them and spread them. In the age of “alternative facts” and outright lies, we enslave both ourselves and others who become our victims.
To paraphrase Elizabeth Barrett Browning: “How do I lie to you, let me count the ways.” There are lies of omission, lies of commission and exaggeration. In national and local politics and in our daily discourse, we hear dishonest claims of the true intent of one’s motives. George Orwell once said: “In a time of universal deceit, telling the truth becomes a revolutionary act.”

In the Jewish bible, Christian Bible and the Muslim Koran, the people who speak truth to power are called “prophets.” The prophet Nathan confronted King David over his order to have his general, Uriah, sent on an impossible mission on the front lines of battle, so that his death would cover up David’s adultery with Uriah’s wife Bathsheba. Jesus, acting as a prophet in revealing deceit and injustice, overturned the tables of the religious officials exchanging money. The people were required to exchange whatever currency they had for Hebrew shekels to buy sacrifices required to enter the temple. The profit, however, was used to benefit the priests and the religious establishment and the practice created hardship for the poor. In both cases, the true intent of their motives was personal gain. Prophets, however, are not solely responsible for speaking truth, especially to those in power who abuse their power to the detriment of the people whose welfare they are entrusted to protect and benefit. We all have the moral obligation to speak the truth about injustice.

We have been taken in by the myth of scarcity. We have become willing to take from others to secure our abundance. The issues that challenge the moral integrity of our nation’s proclaimed democratic values include equitable access to healthcare, education, jobs and housing; receiving a living wage, justice in our legal system, immigration and environmental protection.

In our own community, do we see bias and inequality in the enforcement of laws and ordinances and financial practices. People of faith are challenged to pursue truth and to examine our actions and our motives. Citizens, who claim to desire democratic values in this country, are likewise challenged to pursue and stand up for truth, even when the truth is personally inconvenient.

Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. warned: “The day we see the truth and cease to speak is the day we begin to die” The future of our society depends on stemming the epidemic of lies by inoculating ourselves with honesty, compassion and justice.