A Lie

  I attended St.Bernard’s Catholic Elementary School as a child. We were required to take catechism classes through all the various grade levels. Now that I’m in my middle 60’s, much of what was taught in those catechism classes has been forgotten. One thing that does remain with me though, was the day Sister Mary taught the class how we would know we were living in the “end times.” It was a very simple identifier she presented to us on that day.

She told us that in the last days people would no longer be able to clearly distinguish the difference between right and wrong, or what was truth and what was a lie. The lines of demarcation would become so muddled that what was once as plain as “black or white” would at best be situationally grey.

As a member of the aging Baby Boomers, I recall that a pregnant woman was understood to be carrying a baby.  Today, the Pro-Choice voice has identified it as a non-viable fetus. As a child of that era, it was clearly understood that marriage was only between a man and a woman; today, not so much.

On the southeastern side of the state of Ohio is the state of West Virginia.  You’ll  know when you attempt to cross from one state to the other, because your feet will get wet.  The Ohio River is the point of separation  between the two.  However, at the western boundary between Ohio and Indiana, there is simply a man-made line separating the two and one can literally stand having one foot in each state and not know it.

It is the “not knowing” part that draws my attention.  I have stood in a field with one foot in Ohio and one foot in Indiana.  How did I know this?  The owner of the property told me.  I relied on his word (circa 1986, before we had gps gadgets).   He could have lied to me and I would not have known it.

A lie can take the form of misinformation stemming from the speaker honestly not knowing the fact of the matter, or the more dastardly form where the speaker intentionally misinforms. It is also true that one can conveniently withhold some parts of the truth to suit certain agendas, or situations. Remember, a half truth is a whole lie.

As I observe our hotbed political situations here in America, I see a lot of misinformation flooding the landscape.  It leaves so many unsure, ready to throw up their hands and walk away.  It is the “not knowing”  that burdens the heart.  What is the truth?  Who is telling the truth? Oh, how I long for the lines and borders of life that made your feet wet and left no doubt!

Have A Great Day!

May The Rest Of Your Life Be The Best Of Your Life

image source: privacysurgon.org