My Journal

It is one thing to lie, that when being found out, one feels embarrassed;

It is a whole different thing to lie, and whether being found out or not, emphasis on justifying the lie. This, I believe is what Jesus confronted the Jews "Your father is a liar and a murderer" (John 8:44). Because the Jews twisted (hence the lies, not the kind where they were trying to hide the truth, but the kind that they justify) God's words, and justify it, enforce it on others to follow.

Today, while coming back to the church from lunch to make directories at CCCNY with my wife, the longtime-staff of the 2nd Presbyterian Church, Peter, called me out at the entrance telling me that I should not keep the doors unlocked. I had asked him earlier the day when I found the doors UNLOCKED as I entered, that if he wanted the doors locked, to which he answered, NO.

Now, he tried to tell stories, apparently as a habit, that how strangers coming in to pray could post a risk or something. That's besides the point. So, I insisted, that I had asked him earlier. So, he said: Yea, you asked me if the door should be left open and I said NO! At this point, I have already lost respect for someone who either does not pay attention to what I said and twisted my words. My response to that was just simply, "I asked you, if I should LOCK the door." He immediately said, "AND I SAID YES!"

Voila, the lie detected!

This type of lie of course, is the worse kind. So after I followed up with "I always lock the door", I just ignore him, as he probably realized where he went wrong and attempted to justify it by saying: "Oh, it must be miscommunication then, I apologize." He just twisted the facts, as I have proven above, and he wanted to call this a miscommunication and not misheard? It was better to ignore and forgive him here, I believe, as a sign of mercy. The alternative would be to say: "Well, pay attention to what people say next time", which I have every right to say, but it might be too much for him to take.