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Squirming at Moment of Truth

FOX recently premiered "Moment of Truth," a TV show that wrestles with whether or not anyone is ever willing to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. Contestants are hooked up to a state-of-the-art lie detector test in order to determine whether or not they are spinning lies while asked a series of questions. If contestants tell the truth, they'll win $500,000. To add a little drama, the show mixes spouses, significant others, family members, friends, and co-workers into the audience. Here are a few of the questions that have been asked in recent episodes:

  • Have you ever lied to get a job?

  • Do you like your mother-in-law?

  • Have you ever stolen anything from work?

  • Would you cheat on your spouse if you knew you could get away with it?

As one person on the show noted: "This is the first game show where you already know all the answers!" But despite their foreknowledge, contestants find the game difficult. This is the genius of the show—FOX executives know that humans are depraved and lack integrity.

We all have secrets we don't want to tell anyone. What if you had to answer these kinds of questions while your spouse, family members, friends, bosses, and co-workers watched and listened? What if you had to answer these kinds of questions in front of the church? It would be terrifying. But nonetheless, honesty matters—it matters for the sake of the community of our families and friends, the community of faith, and the community at large. Honesty matters for each of us personally. It's a matter of life or death. After all, every moment is a "Moment of Truth" before God—and he knows everything.

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