Distance yourself from falsehood. – Exodus 23:7

We all like to think of ourselves as honest.  But are we?

Do we rationalize white lies?  Do we fudge our taxes?  Do we return to the counter when we’re undercharged or when we get too much change?  Do we make hasty promises that we forget to keep?  Do we exaggerate?  Do we embellish?  Do we state as fact when in fact we aren’t so sure?

Do we lie outright when we’re caught in a compromising position?

It’s easy to justify “little” lies, or even big ones under pressure.  How often are we lied to by our politicians — increasingly without shame or consequence?  If they can do it, why shouldn’t we?

It comes down to trust.  We want to be trusted.   And we want to be able to trust others.  So it’s not enough not to lie.  Distance yourself from falsehood — whether a false word or a false thing or a false friend.

Not only do we become known by the company we keep; we become the company we keep.  And once we lose our sensitivity to falsehood, it’s a near-impossible struggle to get it back.