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This morning, I told a lie. I was taken aback by how casually the lie tumbled from my lips. I’m not suggesting that I never lie, but in the past, my lies have been delivered with downcast eyes, stilted speech and uncomfortable demeanor. This was different, because the lie was formed spontaneously and spoken without internal wrestling, or pangs of regret. I handled it like a pro. What was going on? I had an “uh oh” moment. It was time to evaluate my commitment to the truth.
We live in a world where the truth isn’t a thing. It’s distorted to suit our needs and whims. The truth is ignored so assiduously, that it only occurs briefly on the edges of our national discourse. The truth can be messy and time consuming. It requires intention, so in our convenience driven world, we abandon it for whatever easy lie will yield self serving results.
I suspect our belief in the value of truth, has been diminished by the fact that we appear to be surviving without it. Think about it. There are scores of leaders who lie to us regularly. I’m not talking about cunning deception, or murky half truths. They dismantle the truth while folding in false parts to create a perverse, new manufactured whole. Without hesitation, these leaders speak bold words that are proven to be lies, mere moments after their words are uttered. Remarkably, when their lies are exposed, very few shrink away in shame. Instead, most are dismissive, then simply double down with more lies! Meanwhile, the rest of us respond with impotent and short lived outrage. This cycle is now so much a part of the fabric of our national discourse, that we barely notice it. We think to blunt the damage of the lies by ignoring them. This is our new normal.
Truth exists on its own. The facts of it, are not impacted by whether we acknowledge it or not. The truth doesn’t change. If a tree falls in the forest, and we don’t hear it, it still fell. The truth is not what we wish, remember or admit. It is, what it is.
The truth is elemental. When we are at our best, we depend on it, and take comfort in it. It gives value to our every thought, feeling or belief. It is the essential element of any worthy endeavor. The truth is precious.
Truth is often hard to hear, hard to live with and inconvenient; but it is reality. That makes it vital, because when we operate in reality there’s a greater chance that those with differing views can enter into reasonable dialogue and seek successful solutions. Difference of opinion that springs from a foundation of truth, is less likely to be the result of self interest, and more likely to yield tenable resolution.
The truth is beautifully simple. We can’t live successfully without it. Fundamental to every value we hold dear, (love, honor, justice…), is the truth. The people I most admire, and the person I most want to be, loves the truth.
I’m reconciling with the truth. I will pursue it, and speak it. I will value it, by setting aside relationships with people who prefer to bury it, rather than deal with it.
My quiet acceptance of the lies that we live with and that propel the decisions that dictate our lives, is officially over. I can’t change the world, but I can stake out my place, and make it clear where I stand. I plan to speak in no uncertain terms about what I know to be true. Join me. The truth doesn’t need us. We need it.
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