In Search of Truth and Integrity

 In Search of Truth and Integrity    

A sermon delivered by Rev. Dr. Randy K. Hammer, August 1, 2021

Leviticus 19:10-12; 1 John 3:18-19; reading from Emily Dickinson Letters

 

How would you like to have been in Dr. Anthony Fauci’s shoes these past 16 months?  How would you like to have sat where Dr. Fauci has sat and had to make the decisions he has had to make?

A heated exchange at a senate hearing week before last caught my attention.  An America senator was grilling Dr. Fauci over the corona virus, making unfounded accusations, including accusing Dr. Fauci of lying to the American people.  And it was obvious that Dr. Fauci had had enough and was beginning to lose his patience.  And Dr. Fauci exclaimed, “Senator . . . you do not know what you are talking about.. . If anyone is lying here, senator, it is you.”

Now, I don’t know about you, but I have the greatest respect for Dr. Anthony Fauci.  I appreciate all Dr. Fauci has done and how he has tried his very best to be truthful and share the best information he has had to share in order to save American lives.  God only knows, probably, what all Dr. Fauci has gone through these past 16 months and how much this pandemic has aged him.  But he has become a target for some politicians who are openly disparaging and contradicting him and the work he is trying to do.

But back to the idea of a senator – or any political leader – lying. Do politicians ever lie?  Duh!  When you have political leaders on opposite sides of the aisle proclaiming diametrically opposing facts, someone has to be lying; or at least mishandling the truth.  Indeed, I think most of us have come to accept the fact that lying has now become commonplace.  In fact, even as far back as 2018 a newspaper headline read: “When did lying become the new normal in America?” (News-Herald, May 16, 2018).

It seems to me that when we come to accept the fact that it is okay for an elected official to lie or disseminate misinformation every day and that lying is the “new norm,” well, something in our society has gone terribly awry.  And yet, some of America’s elected officials are spreading lies and falsehoods every week. 

And sadly, in many instances, social media outlets have become their most important enablers.  As reported by a USA Today article, NYU found that one very popular social media platform is responsible for spreading extreme right-wing misinformation. Let me share a secret with you: Not everything you read on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram is true.  A lot of misinformation – a lot of downright lies – are spread on these social media outlets and taken by many to be the gospel truth.  Most of the social media platforms claim they are trying to curb the dissemination of falsehoods by suspending accounts and removing untrue and dangerous content from their sites.  One extreme, right-wing representative was temporarily suspended a couple of weeks ago for spreading false and dangerous information about the corona virus, information, which if taken seriously, could result in more covid-19 deaths.  But in spite of the social medias’ efforts, much misinformation continues to be propagated.

We have become a culture whose opinions and actions are in part, at least, based on falsehoods; lies. And there are those, I feel, who operate under the position that Hitler’s minister of propaganda took: “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” 

Politics based on lies is bad enough in itself and can lead to all kinds of problems; such as the eroding of respect for government and apathy when it comes election time.  What’s the point in voting? many may say.  They are all liars and crooks, so it doesn’t matter who gets elected.  Well, I don’t believe “they are all liars and crooks.”  Please be advised that I am not talking about all of our elected leaders today; just the ones for whom the shoe fits.  I still believe there are many good, honest, truth-telling leaders who have the good of the American people at heart.  But the bad apples who base their careers on misinformation and lies can cause some people to give up on politics altogether.

But a culture built on lies is destructive and dangerous in other ways.  Lies that have been told about the corona virus, the efficacy of wearing masks, and lies about the covid-19 vaccines (such as Bill Gates had microchips implanted in the vaccines) have cost thousands of lives.

But when some of the nation’s top officials set an example of lying daily, what does it say to our children and youth about the need for being truthful.  There can be a trickle down from the top effect upon the young of our nation – what’s wrong with lying?  All our leaders do it? they may say.

Well, looking at our readings for today, the ancient Hebrews realized that it was important to maintain truthfulness as a foundation for a stable society.  “Do not lie.  Do not deceive one another.  ¹² Do not swear falsely.”  These were the words spoken to ancient Israel as a necessary foundation to live together in harmony and peace.  Later the Hebrew prophets would have to call the people to account for failing to be truthful and using lies to their own advantage and personal gain.  For instance, the prophet Isaiah called to account those who have made a lie their refuge and falsehood their hiding place,” and those who “make up evil schemes to destroy the poor with lies” (28:15; 32:7).  In another place Isaiah says, “No one calls for justice; no one pleads a case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments, they utter lies;” (59:4). 

A society built on lies and the propensity of lying cannot long stand.  If no one can trust anyone to be truthful, then how can we get along together in business and commerce and civil relationships?  A marriage or friendship built on lies instead of truthfulness is unlikely to last and more likely to come unraveled.  How can we expect a nation where many leaders seek to base their platforms on misinformation and falsehoods to keep from eventually unraveling?

Well, it may seem like a hopeless situation.  It may seem like the proverbial barn door has been left wide open and the horse of lies has already fled the barn.  What might we possibly do to address the problem?  Perhaps we can:

1.    Make a personal commitment to be truthful and stand for the truth.

2.    Be cognizant of the fact that falsehoods on social media are aplenty; be wary and vigilant; don’t believe everything you read, every statement that purports to be truth, every conspiracy theory that pops up on your computer, ipad or phone.

3.    Be cognizant of the fact that some – not all, but some – politicians are prone to “bend the truth” often.

4.    Talk with our children and grandchildren and inform them, in a manner appropriate to their age and understanding, that those who are supposed to be leaders sometimes fail to be truthful.  But just because those who are supposed to be our leaders and set an example are not always truthful, that doesn’t make it right or okay for us to lie or be untruthful as well.

5.    The next time we go to the polls, we should vote so as to hold accountable those who base their political careers upon misinformation and falsehoods.  It seems to me that we are in need of a national revival and house cleaning.  If a political leader continues to espouse ideas or utter statements that obviously are outlandish, false, or dangerous, they don’t deserve our support. By continuing to vote for those candidates who are known to lie, we condone lying as a way of life and become part of the problem.

In a letter she wrote to a friend, poet Emily Dickinson quipped, “Truth is such a rare thing, 

it is delightful to tell it.”  Sadly, that statement has never been truer than it is today, 

perhaps, especially when it comes to American politics, statements regarding the 

January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol, responses to covid-19, and covid-19 vaccinations.

 It is a delight when we actually hear the truth. 

As people of faith, we long for, and may we pray and actively work for truth and integrity in life, our relationships, and in our nation.  Amen.