Find the Lie
Every year before Christmas, my mom used to tell me and my little sister the same thing: “Find the lie.” As the TV commercials started showing all the new toys we could put on our Christmas lists, my mom encouraged my sister and I to see the truth underneath the shiny advertising. One year, I was enthralled by a Barbie that would bake cookies. But my mom had taught me well, so it quickly dawned on me: there’s no way that Barbie is making those cookies herself.
My mom’s wise instruction is also good guidance for us in an election year. As we are bombarded by political stories, we need to find the lie. What story about the world is this candidate selling? What does this campaign ad teach about human beings? What does this politician want me to believe is ultimately wrong in the world, and what solution are they giving? And most importantly: what truth in Scripture confronts the lies they are telling? We need to cultivate a keen eye to see the story underneath the policy or politician, and we need the guidance of Scripture, the Holy Spirit, and our communities to help us find the lie.
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Prayer of the Week:
Dear God, the teller of the truest story, we ask that you would give us great discernment and wisdom in these challenging days. Help us to see your world and your Word rightly. Help us to discern between truth and falsehood in all things. Give us a great joy and hunger for your Word, that we might be so seeped in it that we gain a fine-tuned awareness of where your true story and the wayward and broken stories of the world diverge.
Amen.