Trust and Truth

August 7, 2006

Have you ever heard of Rev. M. R.
Watkinson of Ridley, Pennsylvania?
He wrote a letter to then Secretary of
State, Salmon P. Chase in November
of 1861. Eventually this led to the adoption
of our national motto in 1956. Do you know
what that motto is? "In God we trust."

Rev. Watkinson was afraid that the world
would think we were a heathen nation unless
these words – or something like them – were
imprinted on our coins and currency. It took
years for it to happen.

Trust is essential for peace. Trust is the
foundation of any meaningful relationship.
Trust is the foundation of faith – in God,
in other people, in one's self.

In today's world, trust is a quality in short
supply. Maybe it always has been.

In today's world, trust is hard to hold onto.
Maybe it always has been.

In today's world, trust is exploited to make
money. Maybe it always has been.

Drug companies advertise. They want you
to go to your doctor and ask for their product.
In spite of the daunting list of side effects
included in the ads, we do. These "name"
drugs may or may not be what we need.
Trust me, the drug companies are out to
make money, not healing miracles.

Remember the days of doctors who made
house calls? Doctors knew your name
and everyone in the family. There was a
one on one relationship. There was trust.

I listen to radio shows from the 40's.
The ads are woven into the show. The
stars sing the praises of their sponsors'
products without stopping the show.
Nowadays, we are subjected to 5-10 ads
inserted into the program, using very
sophisticated selling techniques targeting
different age groups with the latest products
before the show resumes.

Keep in mind that the object of any ad
is to convince us that we NEED what the
ad is selling. Ninety-nine percent of the time,
we don't need it. Ninety-nine percent of
ads are misleading, sometimes outright lies.

Advertisers study what makes us tick.
They know how to capitalize on our weaknesses.
They know how to intensify our fears.
They know how to infiltrate our imaginations
without our even knowing it. Today's advertising
tactics can and do wreak havoc with our ability
to trust in any absolute and divine truth.

How many ads have you seen, heard or read
today tempting you to indulge in a chocolate bar?
How many ads have you seen, heard or read
offering a miracle weight-loss product – some
insisting that you can still indulge in chocolate
bars and lose weight?

Is anyone else bothered by the content of
feminine hygiene and toilet paper ads ? When
did we invite laxative suppositories and erectile
dysfunction ads into our living rooms?
Do we really believe that we're going to
get a "huge" deal on a new or used car?
How much truth about menopause or prostate
cancer are we likely to learn from a TV ad
promoting a certain product?

As adults, we are savvy enough to believe
less than half of what we hear. Our children,
however, who have grown up being targeted by
advertisers do not always have the skills needed
to know what is true and what is not. Their
ability to trust is compromised – whether they
believe these ads or not – unless we teach them
otherwise. They have a hard time telling truth
from lies when they see sugar coated cereals
and fast-food restaurant meals bringing such
joy to the children onscreen.

Trust depends on truth. Once someone lies to us,
it is harder to trust. When enough lies have been
told, trust evaporates, as does the relationship.

"In God we trust." It has to be something we are
taught. It has to be based on truth. It has to be
a personal choice we make – day after day, year
after year.

In today's world, there are many children who are
not taught to trust God. I recently encountered a
young man of 10, who could not tell me what book
I was holding. It was The Holy Bible.

In today's world, there are lies, half-truths,
misinformation, disinformation and manipulation
of almost all that we hear, see or read. We have to
be able to read between the lines and constantly be
suspicious of any news we hear, see or read. Does
the person telling us any given set of facts, have an
ax to grind? Are there aspects of the situation they
refuse to see or acknowledge? Lies are passed
off as truth every day – especially in TV ads and
on the internet. It is not easy to tell truth from fiction.
Even for adults.

We have the difficult task of choosing – who is
trustworthy enough to teach us about trust? Who is
trustworthy enough to tell us the truth, the whole truth
and nothing but the truth?

There are no easy answers. There are no easy choices.
Keep this in mind: If it sounds too good to be true, it
probably is. Trust depends on truth. It is hard to tell
who is telling the truth. Many give up and stop trusting
all together. I pray for that we will have the courage to
keep trusting in God. I pray that we will all have the
privilege of finding trustworthy people we can love and
trust. I pray that we will all strive to pass on a legacy
of trust and truth for all the generations to come.