The Life of a Lie

THE LIFE of a LIE

Do you associate the word Arabia with a desert in southwest Asia? That’s what I did until I read a book called Treasure in a Cornfield by Greg Hawley.

I was amazed by many things in this adventurous autobiography.  The book’s subtitle is The Discovery and Excavation of the Steamboat Arabia.   

Flat-bottomed paddle-wheelers, propelled by giant boiler engines, carried tons of cargo and hundreds of passengers before establishment of railroads. The mighty Mississippi and the muddy Missouri rivers were major travel sites.

How could a steamboat end up in a cornfield? In 1856, the Arabia was snagged by an underwater tree and sank in the Missouri River. As years rolled by, the river eroded and changed its course leaving the Arabia under a Kansas cornfield.

The Tell-Tale Mule 

This book was filled with amazing stories, but the life of a lie caught my interest. In 1988, the Hawley excavation team came upon the remains of a mule. The skeleton was fully bridled and saddled, laying on its right side.

An article in a St. Joseph’s newspaper, at the time of the disaster, reported that the owner had tried his best to get the mule off the Arabia but the mule was too stubborn (page 71). Mr. Hawley said this story “was unlikely” because one hundred and thirty-two years later the reins were still tied to a piece of sawmill equipment.

Why Lie? 

People are untruthful for many reasons. Self-preservation is a big one. The mule’s owner remains anonymous. He may have fabricated a lie because he was ashamed of not rescuing his mule. In the aftermath of such a major disaster who would question the story of a stubborn mule?

There’s truth in the old adage, “A lie has no legs; it has to be supported by other lies.”

I wonder how the owner felt, every time he told his lie. Knowing the truth, did he try to avoid talking about the incident? Did he think about the suffering of his mule? Or did he tell his story as a bald-faced brazen lie?

Good Reasons for Truth 

There are a couple of reasons to tell the truth: 1) It simplifies our life; we don’t have to remember what we said to keep the lie going, and 2) people know they can trust us; they don’t have to struggle to find the truth.

Did you know that Numbers 23:19 says lying is a human trait? God does not lie; therefore, He is trustworthy. Wondering what to do about a problem? Rest assured, God helps those who trust in Him (Nahum 1:7). Ask Him for wisdom. Lying is an unnecessary option.