“Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds.” –Colossians 3:9
Pause for a moment and ask yourself this question: “Do I lie?”
What did you come up with? Did you answer, “Who me? Never!” Hmm, maybe you just incriminated yourself, because we have all lied at one time or another. You don’t believe that statement? Often we justify them as “white lies” — little mistruths that avoid conflict or keep us in good standing with our bosses or coworkers. Or we can lie by being silent, standing by when our standing up could defend a coworker or confront a wrong. Often, we tell little mistruths to avoid interacting with others.
When someone asks you how are you doing, have you ever answered “Fine!” when you were anything but fine? “So what! Everybody tells a little lie once in a while! What harm is there in it?”
There is great harm in lying. Relationships rely on truth. Love is empowered by truth. Where there is no truth, there is no trust. Where there is no trust, there can be no healthy, thriving relationship. This is true in families, true in friendships, true in communities and true at Loma Linda University Health. As a matter of fact, it is true in all of humanity.
The Bible begins with the matter of trust. God created a world based on love. Love requires trust. Adam and Eve loved and trusted God. The adversary inserted the idea in their minds that God lied, couldn’t be trusted and was holding them back from their true potential (Genesis 3). Adam and Eve believed the lie and broke their relationship with God. It is interesting to note the three things that immediately followed: They tried to cover up, hid from God and blamed each other. The result is — well — history.
That was a long time ago and far away from where you and I live and work. But, maybe it isn’t. There are many ways to lie. We can speak out-and-out lies. We can lie by saying nothing when we should have spoken. We can lie by living with false fronts.
What if we told the truth? Sometimes it would require us to own up to our mistakes. Sometimes it would draw us into some uncomfortable conversations. Some relationships would end. But other wonderful things would transcend these. You could come out from behind your false fronts and the walls you are hiding behind. Honesty can bring healing. Relationships grow strong.
Understanding each other in what we are facing, who we are and what we need helps to weave our many strengths into one mission — to continue the teaching and healing ministry of Jesus Christ. Loma Linda University Health can be a place of oneness, wholeness, healing and love.
And that’s the truth.
Terry Swenson, DMin
Campus chaplain
Loma Linda University