Scripture: Proverbs 14:25
A truthful witness saves lives, but one who utters lies is a betrayer.
Thought for the Day: We have experienced two political conventions in recent weeks, and for most of us, there was one we liked and one we didn’t like as much. I wish I could say that both conventions presented truthfulness and honesty, but there were clearly some moments in both conventions when the definition of accuracy was stretched a bit. A lot of folks will say, “Oh, that’s just politics,” but it doesn’t have to be. I’m not quite ready to join Larry Hardiman who jokingly wrote, “Politics, n: Poly “many” + tics “blood-sucking parasites””. I will confess that I laughed when I first read those words, though I’m not quite that cynical. Instead, I have begun a mission of responding to emails and notes that seem to indicate that ‘the other guy’ is a blood-sucking parasite (or even worse). I have not been the most popular person, even among friends with whom I generally agree. But if we really believe in the power of truth, then we must call out even ‘our guy’ when he (or she) spins the truth to his (or her) liking. I guess the one benefit in doing this is that many people have stopped sending me those ugly political emails because they are tired of me fact-checking and calling them out. At the end of the day, people of faith need to make sure their commitment to truth always rises above political ideology.
Prayer: Make me a voice of truth, O Lord, amidst the voices who like to stretch the truth to fit their desired end. Amen.
