Lies, Lies, Lies

The use of artificial intelligence in the mainstream has skyrocketed in the past two years.  It's alarming if you stop and think about it, which most of us never really do.  

Regular people can use AI to write term papers, create idealized images of themselves and others, and create new music from long-dead rock stars that sound original. Not to mention all of the "deep fake" videos that make their way around the internet, with celebrities and world leaders saying things that they never said.  

Speaking of politicians... 

We have the prevalence of AI to contend with when trying to discern the truth, and we also have a 24-hour news cycle of politicians spouting falsehoods on whatever media platform they can find to spout them. 

It's easy to uncover the lies that politicians perpetuate, but most of their faithful adherents are unwilling to engage in that kind of effort.  They would rather assume the worst because that's what they think anyway.  

The problem is lying has become such a part of the political landscape for so many that we've become numb to it, and even when we know we're being lied to, we do little about it.  

Confronting people with the truth seems to do little good when the proliferation of lies has become a part of the culture.  

German historian and philosopher Hanna Arendt who lived through the Nazi regime in Germany, wrote this about the lies told by the Nazis and their minions: 

“This constant lying is not aimed at making the people believe a lie, but at ensuring that no one believes anything anymore. A people that can no longer distinguish between truth and lies cannot distinguish between right and wrong. And such a people, deprived of the power to think and judge, is, without knowing and willing it, completely subjected to the rule of lies. With such a people, you can do whatever you want.” 

This very idea is echoed in the words of Joseph Goebbels, the chief propaganda officer for Hitler's regime, who once said: "Tell a lie often enough; it becomes the truth." 

So what do we do in a world where people have become de-sensitized to the truth or, at the very least, cannot trust anything that they hear?  

In his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus told his followers they did not need to swear oaths that what they said was the truth. He told them, "Let your 'yes' be yes, and your 'no' be no; anything beyond this comes from the evil one." 

What Jesus meant by this is that we speak our truth, live our truth, and let that be enough.  People can determine if we are honest by how we live our lives; we don't need to embellish, elaborate, or swear that we're not speaking falsely if we live in a way that bears out the truth.

As followers of Jesus, we are responsible for upholding what is good, true, and beautiful. This is how we make God's kingdom visible on earth. Our speech should be flavored with grace, mercy, and love.  

Additionally, our lives should demonstrate the truth of the Good News of Jesus for the world and our commitment to living honestly and with integrity.  This is part of what it means to follow Jesus in an often confusing and challenging culture.  

To that end, let me say this: 

Why, then, shouldn't we hold our leaders to the same standards that we hold ourselves to and stop glossing over what we know to be wrong when they publicly and repeatedly lie to us?  

Maybe it's time to stop shrugging at all the lies we encounter and saying, "Well, that's just the way it is." It's time we demanded more of leaders and held them accountable for the lies they perpetuate. 

It may be time we started being more honest with ourselves about who we idolize. 

May we all strive to lift up what is good, beautiful, and true, and live accordingly.  

And may the grace and peace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with us all, now and forever.  Amen.