Monday, September 9, 2013

LIES

I recently found out something very interesting about little Burlington, Wisconsin where we began a multi-site campus this past March.  It hosts a club that holds the annual contest for 'World Champion Liar' every year.

Now there's a claim-to-fame we'd all like to pin on our lapels.  Of all the people in the entire world, I have perfected the art of lying better than anyone else.

Apparently it began decades ago when Otis Hulett, famous around Burlington parts for his various pranks, made up a news story.  He concocted a story that the Burlington chief-of-police sat around the station seeing who could tell the biggest lie among him and his buddies.

The Associated Press picked up that story and wanted to know if they were going to pick a "biggest liar" every year.  At that the lies began to pour in.  A club - The Liar's Club - was ultimately formed, incorporated and the contest expanded to worldwide level with lies coming in from all over.

'We're called to truth in our actions and our words.'

The only requirement to become a card-carrying member was to send in a lie and a dime.  (You can become a member today for the inflation-raised amount of $1.)

Charming.

Some of the recent winners told lies as follows:
- The fog was so thick that when I cut down a tree, it didn't fall over until the fog lifted.

- My wife was so lazy she fed the chickens popcorn so the eggs would turn themselves over when she fried them.

- My husband's feet were so cold that every time he took off his shoes, the furnace kicked on.

Now - everyone knows that isn't really lying - it's tall-tale-telling maybe, and in this case maybe just good ol' fun.  We don't take that very seriously.

But there is a serious side.  Researchers say one out of every three working Americans is hired with educational or career credentials that have been fabricated in some way.

There's a need for truth-telling and integrity in our world today.  Nobody should be more aware of that than people who call themselves Christ-followers.  We're called to truth - in our actions and our words.

And be blessed.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

It makes me wonder how many Christians lie. If it is about the same as the general population. I'm pretty sure that Christ-followers would be more honest, but who knows. I have read that it seems that one cannot seem to tell a Christian and an unbeliever apart, in many cases. That's why Christians often get labeled 'hypocrites.'

I spent the majority of my life feeling good that I was a very honest person. My Dad instilled that in me from an early age. I thought it was one of my better qualities.

Then, I became mired in my own situation that I struggled with. For a couple of years, it seemed that I was lying constantly to cover up my life. I would feel so angry when someone in my family would ask me questions about it. I felt that they were 'in my business.' I got to the point that I avoided most everyone as much as possible. My life was a mess.

Fortunately, through the grace of God, I am in a very good place now. I am back to being open and honest. I do wonder if, now that I became more devious, if I will ever fall back into that trap in the future. I hope not. It doesn't honor God and lying makes you lose your self-respect. I would rather like the person I see in the mirror.