A One Percent Lie

Last week during A World of Music we played the game Two Truths and a Lie. The kids introduced themselves and then told two true statements about themselves, along with a false statement. Everyone else had to figure out which was which. It was not very successful because the kids were just not that good at lying. They would say things like, “I am seven years old; I like ice cream and I have 700 sisters.” I have played this same game with adults and it is much harder, because as adults, we are better at lying.

My co-worker, Ngaire, asked the kids if they ever told a real lie.

“No, never!” was the united reply.

“Are you sure? Not even a little lie?”“

I used to tell lies when I was little,” admitted Jager, age 10.

“I’ve told twenty lies,” said Tori, “and then I quit.”

“I only tell one percent lies,” said Michael. Michael, age six, is my current favorite theologian. He is the same student featured in my blog last week who declared God obeys him. What does a one percent lie look like? Does telling a 99% truth get us off the hook in regard to lying?

I think most of us can think of situations where we would justify a lie if it meant protecting ourselves or not hurting another person’s feelings. Yet Jesus said the best way to live was to let your yes be yes and your no be no. I don’t think he would give us a pass on a one percent lie.

Have you told a one percent lie?