This is a two part story about truth, and how lies have a way of coming back to bite you in the rear end.
For a large part of my career, I worked as a media buyer for an advertising agency. I bought TV, radio, print, billboards, and eventually digital tactics on behalf of our clients in cities around the country, but primarily in the Midwest. The job was interesting and kind of fun, as I worked to negotiate the lowest prices for my clients with salespeople who were trying to get the highest price, and/or biggest share of my budget for their stations.
In the late 90’s, while in a major Midwestern city (I’m being purposely vague) for client meetings, I went to lunch with a TV sales rep and his boss. The sales manager arrived late and as soon as he sat down, he said, “Hi, I’m John Divito*, my father is Jack Divito*.” I gave him a blank look. In the Bible, people said things like, “Hello, I am John, son of Zebedee”, but I wasn’t used to people introducing themselves that way in modern times. I later learned that his father was a well-known business leader in that city. I was supposed to be impressed. He went on to say, “My sister is Blanche Divito*, the movie star.” Instead of being impressed, I was immediately turned off. Why did he feel the need to lead with his pedigree? If it comes up in conversation later, that is fine. But to tell me about his famous relatives within the first 2 minutes of meeting was a turn off. (Side note: Another sales rep that I worked with is the son of the guy who wrote the Dr. Pepper jingle, “I’m a Pepper, he’s a pepper…wouldn’t you like to be a pepper, too”. That is just a fun fact that I learned after working with him for several months. Not his lead introduction.)
After we gave the server our orders, “John Divito, son of Jack Divito”, pulled out a presentation deck and began to tell lies. The details are not important to this story. However, he was misrepresenting Nielsen ratings data so as to justify increasing the projected ratings and therefore the cost of commercials on his station by 300%. As he spoke, I interrupted him, saying, “That’s not true.” He kept talking, and I kept interrupting, “That doesn’t make sense.” Finally, I slammed my hand across his presentation book, and angrily exclaimed, “This is all wrong! I understand how the ratings data works! What you are claiming here is not true and it doesn’t make any sense!” About that time, our food arrived and we ate in an uncomfortable silence. At one point, “John Divito, son of Jack Divito” shared that he had gone to law school. I sarcastically replied, “Another profession known for telling lies.” I left that TV station off of the schedule for the next two quarters because I refused to pay his inflated rates. I didn’t believe his justification for the increase. I felt bad for my rep because he lost his commission, but his boss was a lying jerk.
A few months later, “John Divito, son of Jack Divito” was fired. The lies that he told and unfortunately, less knowledgeable media buyers believed, cost his station tens of thousands of dollars and maybe even more. The station had to provide hundreds of no-charge commercials to clients who had overpaid based on his flawed data. Telling lies in an effort to increase his sales revenue cost him his job.
Fast forward a couple of years. The sales manager for a TV station in Michigan offered to drive to Toledo to introduce me to my new sales rep over lunch. As soon as I met the sales manager, Frank*, in person, I knew he was sleezy. Hard to say why, but after years of dealing with both good and bad salespeople, I had developed some pretty good instincts. He was an example of why we sometimes refer to the salespeople as “reptiles” instead of “reps”. The new salesman, Reggie*, was fresh out of college and eager to please. At the restaurant, we sat in a booth with me on one side and Frank and Reggie sitting on the other. While talking about the merits of his station, Frank mentioned that they were owned by Corporate Broadcasting*. I said, “Oh! I work with the Corporate Broadcasting station in (vague city in the Midwest). Frank asked, “Do you know their sales manager, John Divito?” With a straight face, I calmly replied, “Yes. I know John Divito.” Frank added, “Did you know he’s the son of Jack Divito and his sister is Blanche Divito, the movie star?” I nodded, “Yes. I heard that.” Then Frank went on to say, “John and I are great friends! He and I email all the time and talk on the phone at least once a week.” I looked Frank straight in the eye and slowly and calmly stated, “That’s interesting since John was FIRED two years ago. The only time I met John, we got into an argument because he was lying to me. I really HATE it when people LIE to me.” There was a very long uncomfortable silence while I just glared at the man. Finally, Frank asked, “How do you think the Detroit Lions will do this season?”
Later that day, I began to worry about Reggie. This was his first job out of college and he was being trained by a sleezeball reptile. I called him on my drive home. I didn’t bring up Frank or our lunch earlier in the day. I just said, “Reggie, this job is all about relationships. It is not about a quick sale. It is about developing trust and good long term relationships with your clients. All you have is your integrity. Never let anyone talk you into compromising your integrity in order to get a sale. That is all I am going to say about that.” He just replied, “Okay”.
Years passed and we didn’t buy that market for a while. When our agency acquired a new client, the Michigan station asked to come meet with us. By then, I was a VP of Media Services at our agency. Imagine my surprise and delight to learn that Reggie was now the General Sales Manager of his station! He said that he wanted to come with his sales rep to see me and say that while it was an extremely uncomfortable lunch meeting that first day we met, he had really appreciated my advice and remembered it. Frank had not lasted long at that station, but Reggie had been extremely successful. Truth wins!
So how did I know that “John Divito, son of Jack Divito” and Frank were lying to me? Because I knew the truth! I was very familiar with the TV ratings system so I knew that “John Divito, son of Jack Divito” was lying to me. Similarly, I knew that “John Divito, son of Jack Divito” had been fired from the station years before Frank claimed to call “his fellow sales manager” weekly.
Truth. Lies. There is so much misinformation in the world right now, so how do you know what is true? One news site might have a headline stating, “FOX News Reporter Schools Jen Psaki at Press Briefing”. Another site will have a headline about the same press briefing stating, “Jen Psaki Puts FOX News Reporter in His Place”. Which one is true? If it’s a topic that I care about, I will watch the press briefing myself and make up my own mind about what is true. I go to the source.
Similarly, many people are misinformed about Bible teaching and can be misled if they do not go to the source, for themselves. Years ago, I attended a church service of a well established Protestant denomination. As I walked down the aisle to take communion, an usher stopped me and told me that I was not allowed to participate since I was not confirmed in their church. I sat down so as to not cause a scene, but I was mad. Why? Because there is NOTHING in the Bible that says that you have to take confirmation classes in order to participate in the Lord’s Supper. How do I know that? Because I read the Bible. I got my information from the source, not a book of doctrine.
Last week, I was thinking about how the Methodist church (as well as many other main line protestant dominations) revised their hymnals in the past few decades to be more politically correct, i.e. changing references from “God the Father” to “God the Creator”. Many wanted to remove the old favorite, “Onward Christian Soldiers” because some claimed that it glorified war. When I googled it, I found this article covering the debate in a 1986 issue of the LA Times.
Here is one quote from the article: “The Rev. Beryl Ingram-Ward of Bellevue, Wash., who according to the Methodist News Service also voted against the marching-style hymns last Wednesday, said biblical scholars had told her that there was ‘no image of a ‘warrior Christ’ in the Scriptures’.”
I was stunned when I read that! Helloooo! One would assume that if the woman had studied to become a reverend, she probably would have read the book of Revelation in the Bible where chapter_19:11-16 colorfully describes Jesus riding on a white horse leading the armies of heaven for the final battle against evil. I would call that an “image of a warrior Christ”, wouldn’t you? The Old Testament is full of stories in which God leads His people into battle i.e. Joshua and the Battle of Jericho and Gideon defeating the Midianites. In Psalm_35, David appeals to God as a Divine Warrior who fights our battles. And in the New Testament, Paul describes “The Armor of God” in Ephesians_6:10-18, teaching Christians how to prepare for spiritual battles.
A person could easily be misled by the LA Times quote above because it comes from someone with a title that hints that she has some knowledge and authority, and she quotes some mysterious “biblical scholars”. (Kind of like how a “Washington Official” will quote “anonymous sources” in the news.) However, I know the TRUTH, as shown by the Bible examples above, and am not fooled by the lie. I know the source.
All of this to say that if you know the truth, then no one can succeed in lying to you. We need to use discernment as we consume media. Don’t believe everything you read or hear. And seek the truth so that you will be able to recognize the lie.
*All names in this story have been changed.