THE INVENTION OF LYING

This movie has caused me to think.  If you are going to see it, stop reading now, because I’m going to give away a little bit of the movie.

Mark (Ricky Gervais) and Anna (Jennifer Garner) live in a world where everyone speaks the truth all the time.  No one doubts anything that anyone else says.  No one holds anything back.

This becomes an issue for Mark when he, a “short, snub-nosed guy,” wants to date and marry his long-time crush, the very successful and attractive Anna.  Anna is more interested in another guy who is successful and attractive like her.

When Mark learns how to lie in the movie, he lies to Anna about how great he is.  But he knows that this won’t really develop the relationship he wants, and besides, it’s obvious that Anna is better matched with the successful and attractive guy.  Mark tells Anna to look beyond just outside appearances and see people’s inner beauty.

I think we all connect with Mark.  We want someone to see us for who we really are - more than just a career, a body, or a social status.  We also want to get past our own bigotry and value others at a level deeper than appearances.

What doesn’t make sense to me is that the movie also says Christianity (and every other religion) is a lie.  Life after death, the existence of a “guy in the sky,” and the idea that a god would speak to humans are all lies that Mark concocts.  The idea of the movie is that getting away from these lies will help us to really love.

I, too, want to be a guy who loves and values people at a deeper level.  People who don’t look like me, don’t consume the same brands I do, don’t live according to my values, and don’t see the world as I see it.  I want to value people for something more intrinsic, more real, and more thoughtful than their genetics.  But if we are all evolved things, as the movie suggests, with no soul and no future - if we are simply lucky atoms - than why should I see past the physical, surface level?  Wouldn't our lives consist only of the sum of our accomplishments, impressive or not?

There are hard things to believe about Christianity - the movie points many of them out - but Jesus gives me a logical basis to see people as intrinsically beautiful.  Jesus loves me.  Jesus loves you.  Jesus constantly challenged the common prejudices of his day.  He taught that the real, existing God loves people the world calls worthless.  He died for people who are successful and for those who are not.  Jesus said, “Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.” (Luke 6:36)

I don’t need less faith, but more faith to see people for who they really are.

- Pastor Luke