A Tom Brady, New England Patriots, & Deflategate inspired blog post:

(Deflategate is an ongoing controversy involving the NFL’s New England Patriots. It alleges that they used underinflated footballs in their AFC Championship victory against the Indianapolis Colts on January 18, 2015 and that quarterback Tom Brady knew about it and was somehow involved in the scheme. NFL Commissioner, Roger Goodell, has suspended Brady 4 games for the incident, however, Brady is appealing his suspension.)

–Deflategate demonstrates that it is easy to live life as make-believe — as a myth, a fantasy, a coverup.

Dishonesty distorts reality & makes you a myth-maker. Cheating may achieve a fraudulent title, position, or prize, but it doesn’t change the reality behind it — that the prize was not legitmately earned or deserved. Denying the truth is mythical. To refuse to come clean is to frolic in fantasy.

Nowadays it is becoming common to call Christianity a myth. Yet that accusation ignores or overlooks the radical honesty in faith.

Myths make mirages that make men look like mighty heroes — super-human and almost faultless. However, the Bible openly displays the faults, failures, and humanness of men and women — even the most prominent heroes of the faith.  Peter is shown openly denying Christ. Paul is pictured persecuting, beating, and promoting the killing of believers. King David is revealed to be an adulterer and a murderer. Abraham lied. Jacob cheated. Mary Magdalene was a prostitute. The Bible is the most open and honest book that I have ever read. (Can you think of any other history book that openly proclaims and gives vivid details of the faults and wrongdoing of its nation’s leaders?)

Faith, however, transformed the people in the Bible. It didn’t create mythical mighty men, but rather broken, humble people who were totally dependent on the living God.

When Christ gets under the skin and begins to work within, people feel deeply sorry for the myths in their life, and begin to come clean.  They become myth busters. They confess their secret wrongdoing. They no longer accuse others. They work hard to untangle themselves from dishonesty and coverup. They openly accept the consequences of their wrongdoing. They even make amends to those they have wronged.

Far from being a myth, biblical Christianity turns fantasy-based people into radically open and honest men and women.  Jesus put it this way: “You shall know the truth and the truth will set you free.”

A line in the movie, A Few Good Men, declares: “You can’t handle the truth.” Can you? Will you? The living, resurrected Jesus Christ will give you supernatural strength to face the truth and move beyond the myths in your life (if you have the courage to let Him)!

Check out my post: Dishonesty’s 10 Dirty Downers