The worst lies

Luke 12:2-12

            They say that everything you need to know in life you learn in kindergarten. I'd hasten to add that watching Judge Judy is a big help too. Many invaluable lessons can be learned about life and people. Judge Judy advises that if you tell the truth, you never have to remember what lie you told and to whom.

            But I suppose we all lie. The other day on this blog I mentioned white lies and bold faced lies. I recall the time I told my mother that the recipe she loved so much was from a coworker when actually it was a recipe from my step mother. Such is life. I'm not sure I'm going to hell in a hand basket for that one though.

            The worst lies though are the lies you tell to yourself. In essence you are also fibbing to the Lord who knows it all anyway. It disrespects your own self. But lie we do.  I know I also lied to myself for decades. In retrospect, I can't see how I didn't know but I really was lying to myself and believing it. I told myself I was a straight man who could 'appreciate' the male and female forms. It was a gift I told myself, a gift of appreciation. I am sure I told myself a whole lot of lies to convince myself that I was not gay. No way, I'm not gay! But gay I am and gay I was born and gay I shall remain. It's who I am. And that I am blessed with, it is a gift and a truly wonderful gift for me at that.

              There are homilies and epistles and psychological treatises and moralizing galore about how bad lying is and it's probably true for the most part. That's probably an easy sermon considering it is one of the ten commandments.  Lying to yourself though is a little trickier. It combines the 9th commandment with the two great commandments that Jesus spoke of. Not a simple "thous shalt not lie".

          As heinous as lying is, lying to yourself about anything is the worst, especially of you're trying to convince yourself you are not gay.  me? No way!

          Way !!

Nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known. Therefore whatever you have said in the dark will be heard in the light, and what you have whispered behind closed doors will be proclaimed from the housetops.

‘I tell you, my friends, do not fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will warn you whom to fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has authority to cast into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him! Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten in God’s sight. But even the hairs of your head are all counted. Do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

‘And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God; but whoever denies me before others will be denied before the angels of God. And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven; but whoever blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven. When they bring you before the synagogues, the rulers, and the authorities, do not worry about how you are to defend yourselves or what you are to say; for the Holy Spirit will teach you at that very hour what you ought to say.’