At face value,
telling a lie is easier than telling the truth. The truth may be too difficult
to be accepted by some, for it hurts. The truth may not be compatible with the
values the world demands. People may expect one thing from us which we cannot
deliver to them. Consequently, to please them, we tell them what they want to
hear and not necessarily what is real. We tell fantasies to please the world. Later,
one would realize that conveying a false statement is far more difficult than
simply living by the truth of one’s life. Deception gives birth to dishonesty
one after another while telling the truth liberates us. Though it may not
please the world and its demands, surely, the truth will please the Father in
heaven.
In the book of
Daniel, Susana was completely trapped whether to give in to the malicious advances
of the two elders or remain pleasing to the world. She said: "If I yield,
it will be my death; if I refuse, I cannot escape your power." She was in
a "damned if you do, damned if you don't" situation. But she was
quick enough to realize that there was a third option: to remain truthful
before the eyes of God. She said:
"Yet it is better for me to fall into your power without guilt than to sin
before the Lord." She had full trust in God who knows what is hidden and is
aware of all things before they came to be, and from whom she would have her vindication.
We may find
ourselves in the same predicament Susana found herself in. We may be walking in
a dark valley that desires lies more than the truth. But we should fear no evil
threats in telling and living by the truths of our lives, for God is at our
side. Jesus, after all, is the light of
the world: “Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the
light of life” (Jn 8:12-20).
When pressed by
the Pharisees and the scribes to prove His credibility by soliciting testimony
from others, Jesus presented the Father as one who can testify for Him. But no
amount of truthful testimony can convince the Pharisees and scribes, for evil
intents cloud their minds from seeing the Lord; evil intents that aim to
preserve their status as privileged ones, aggravated by their love for the
treasures of the temple. They would insist to believe the lies they themselves
created, to the extent of crucifying Christ. But the truth about the Son of God
will surely persist.
In a world that
may prefer lies more than the truth, choose to be honest, for we are here not
to please the world but the Father who knows everything about us. In return,
God will be truthful to His promises to us: to be with us in this valley of
tears and darkness.
