He's a liar

I have a friend who almost every time we meet in the course of conversation says, "The devil is a liar." It usually takes me aback because there is not always a discernable context for the remark. It just erupts, like some sanctified Tourette's syndrome.

Still, the ejaculation is not an unhelpful intrusion into our dialogues. I do well to be reminded of that fact-on a more than merely weekly basis-that the devil is a liar. It is not overkill for me in the midst of any conversation, even if we're just taking pleasantries. If you told me yesterday that the devil is a liar, I would have most likely already forgotten and started to buy into a lot of his lies.

Chief among his lies is "God doesn't really love you." As I recall, that was the very first lie. Oh, of course, he put it in the form of an innocuous question: "Did God actually say . . . ?" (The seed of doubt is planted.). And then a statement that went in for the kill: "God knows that when you eat of it, your eyes will be opened" (Genesis 3:5). But under the fanciness, this is what he meant alright: "God doesn't love you. He can't be trusted. He's holding out on you. He's playing you. Watch your own back."

I have noticed that at any given moment my private belief regarding how God feels about me is the single biggest determinant of my mood. I can weather just about anything if I know God loves me. The desks in Hell's Department of Misinformation are covered with overflowing ashtrays and half-drunk cups of coffee. "The devil is a liar." Don't stop telling me, Tanya.

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