Words have worth. Handled worthlessly, they are lies—weapon of mass destruction—like the damage done by two parents who would do and say anything to get their children into prestigious colleges. One parent paid $300,000 to get his daughter into the University of Southern California as a basketball recruit even though she didn’t even make it onto her high school’s varsity team. It was a lie. Another parent was accused of paying $220,000 to get his son designated as a top USC water polo recruit because he could swim record times. A lie. This parent also paid an additional $1 million to buy his twin daughters’ ways into Harvard and Stanford. They could not qualify the traditional path. Lies. Lies. Lies. The parents were found guilty this week. They may spend 20 years in jail.
On another front, a father and son and real estate agent in Michigan were surrounded by gun-drawn police and led away in handcuffs … (wait on it)…on the word of a caller who felt the need to “to say something when he saw something.” He thought he saw something criminal going on. Lies, lies, lies. What was going on was a real estate agent doing usual real estate business: showing a house to potential buyer. The agent, father and son are black. That house that had been on the market for some time with no such incidents before that day. The fear felt by the trio doing usual business will leave deep scars.
Lies can cause great damage. That’s why the prohibition of lying made the “Big Ten”—the Ten Commandments. Why should we honor the 9th commandment and not bear witness? Exodus 20:16 and Proverbs 25:18 tells us. First, lies are weapons of wickedness against our neighbor, and second, lies have widespread, deleterious impact on the community.
First, lies are weapons against your neighbor according to Exodus 20:16 Proverbs 25:18 and James 3:5.
The ninth commandment says:
"You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Exodus 20:16
Two definitions are important here. First, false means your words are empty, worthless, and are meant to deceive. Here is an example. If I gave directions to you to Best Buy and I said turn right at the light and go two miles but, in fact, it is a left turn, did I lie? If I told you right instead of left to get you off track so I can get to Best Buy first to get the last I-pod, I lied.
The second important definition is witness. It means a testimony as if in a court of law. The Israelites saw the importance of having a proper witness; they required two witnesses for a thing to be true in court.
“A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established. Deuteronomy 19:5
The writer of Proverbs 25:18 saw the damage lies can do.
Like a club or a sword or a sharp arrow is the man who gives false testimony against his neighbor. Proverbs 25:18
· Lies and liars are like clubs—brutal. Chaneya Kelly lied and sent her father to prison for rape. It costs him 16 years of his freedom. That is brutal.
· Lies and liars are like swords—deep cutting. Often, we cut our owns selves with our lies. Bill Clinton perjured himself over his involvement, in part, with intern Monica Lewinsky. “I did not have sex with that woman.” He lied. And the consequences cut deep. He was impeached by the House of Representatives. Though the impeachment proceedings did not come to fruition, Clinton’s name will forever be linked to…liar and impeachment.
· Lies and liars are like sharp arrows—striking from a distant. You don’t have to be there to do damage. President Nixon who said he was not a crook resigned when it came to light he covered up the Watergate break-in. From the oval office, Nixon struck a blow on the office of the Presidency for generations to come with his word: “I am not a crook”. He resigned.
Lies, lies and lies. They are as destructive as the wildfires that now are ravaging out west. That’s why James used the metaphor of fire to warn us of the destructive tongue
.
So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. Behold, how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! James 3:5
Lies are weapons against your neighbor. They club, cut, strike from afar, and scorch. That’s why we need to honor the ninth commandment.
Second, lies have widespread effect on the community, not just the individual. You can either be the vehicle by which lies are carried and cause great harm to the community by repeating them. Or you can be the gullible believer of the lie about your community and become a victim. You act out the lies people say about you and your community. Here are the four lies circulating in the black community that may have emboldened the “See something, say something” caller to marshal gun-draw police to handcuff a black real estate agent, his client and son for no acceptable reason.
1. Black people use and/or sell illegal drugs and alcohol more than other people. It’s a lie. Black youth aged 15-24 are significantly less likely to use and sell illegal drugs than white youth. Draconian laws against this behavior hit black communities harder. A Caucasian man with a criminal record is more likely to be hired with the same credentials as a black male with NO criminal record.
2. Black males have no regard for their duties to attempt to father our offspring. That is a liedies show that African American fathers are more likely to provide emotional support for their children even though many lack the socio-economic opportunities to support their children. My father raised six children after my mother died. That’s fatherhood.
3. Black people do not value scholastic achievement. That is a lie. Studies show that African Americans have higher levels of academic involvement with their children at home and volunteering at school.
4. Black people are “financially illiterate” and refuse to save our money preferring to “floss.”(being showy, or showing off the expensive merchandise they have.) That is a lie. Economists have recognized that blacks historically have had a slightly higher savings rate than whites. They have less and save more.
Before you speak, ask yourself the Rotarian’s 4-Way Test questions:
· Is it true? Truth is verifiable. Go to a reliable source.
· Is it fair? All humans are qualified to do stupid things. Is it fair to label an entire group on the bonehead actions of some in that community? Imagine how you watch the news when the suspect is identified as white verses when they are black. It’s not the same experience for the black viewer.
· Will it build goodwill? Some words are clearly aimed at tearing town rather than building up. You know your motive. You know the best motive. There is no such thing as “I’m just saying”. You say what you say with an intent in mind. You know your motive. You know the best motive.
· Will it be beneficial for all concerned? “All concerned” is another way of saying “community”. Lies are toxic radioactive. Their damage is not easily contained. The lie you spread today, can stealthily seep back over to your side and contaminate your neighborhood and home. Don’t hide the truth but be strategic in sharing it for the good of the community.
Pinocchio’s nose grew. The little boy who cried wolf lost his sheep. You and I, when we lie, break God’s nineth commandment and His heart.
Comments