Between Lie and Truth
Dear COAH,
Some time ago, a church member came to me in deep frustration. He had got into a car accident at a crossroads. The oncoming car made a dangerous left turn at a red light and collided with his vehicle. Fortunately, he was not seriously injured, but his car was severely damaged. There was no other person at the scene other than the two motorists because it was late in the evening. He was shocked to read the other driver’s account of the accident, which was the opposite of his account. The other driver claimed that the church member drove through the red line and that he had a live witness to support his claim!
I could tell the church member was visibly shaken up, more so by the false account than the accident itself. He almost lost faith in people, except for the fact that his insurance company did not buy into the other side’s narrative. All of us, at one time or another, fall victim to someone else’s mistakes or shortcomings. Sometimes we have to accept the loss and move on. But it is much more damaging to our faith in people when there is a deliberate attempt to lie or fabricate.
Watching the war between Russia and Ukraine, we can tell that severe lies and fabrications are part of reality. For example, on June 6, the Kakhovka Dam in the Russian-occupied Kherson region exploded. The explosion caused the lower Dnipro River to overflow and severe flooding. It caused tens of thousands to lose their homes and livelihoods instantly. The Russian side criticized Ukraine's inhumane atrocities, saying the Ukrainian military used missiles to blow up the dam with long-range fire. The Ukrainians, in turn, said that the Russians had no morals to cause the catastrophe to turn the tide of war in their favor. One angry flood victim said: "The most damming thing about this whole case is that no one will be punished for doing this."
Lies are rampant in this world. Satan is the father of lies, leading this world to an evil path. During June, the streets of Toronto are full of rainbow flags and 2SLGBTQ+ messages. Next weekend a Pride Parade will be attended by a massive crowd, directly challenging God's creation order with a lie. We are God's people. We are called to live out the teachings of Jesus Christ, the way, truth, and life, in a world full of lies and fabrications.
Blessings,
Pastor Minho Song