“Your servant my father said to us, ‘You know that my wife bore me two sons. One of them went away from me, and I said, “He has surely been torn to pieces.” And I have not seen him since. – Genesis 44:27-28

Today’s Scripture Reading (August 4, 2018): Genesis 44

The Conqueror Napoleon Bonaparte argued that “History is a set of lies agreed upon.” The end result is that what we think is true, might not be. Several colorful characters in history have had different histories attached to them. President Donald Trump argued, from history, that Canada burned down the White House during the War of 1812 (although the actual burning down of the White House didn’t happen until 1814). Canada, for the most part, is quick to agree with the President. The band “The Arrogant Worms” even wrote a tongue in cheek song about Canada burning down the White House, and then argues that if the U.S. continues in their arrogant ways, don’t miss the connection with the Canadian band’s name, we might have to do it again. So pack your matches the next time you go to Washington, D.C. (Please do not take this seriously. As with every “Arrogant Worms” song, the whole thing is meant as a joke and an attempt at Canadian humor.) But the reality is that the story as told by President Trump and “The Arrogant Worms” is just an agreed-upon lie. Canada didn’t exist until 1867, fifty-three years after the burning of the White House. So the White House was actually burned by the British.

There are others. Benedict Arnold is seen historically as a traitor in the United States, while in Britain he is remembered as a patriot, although a disgruntled and unhappy one. The truth is seldom so clear-cut. Maybe the only truth to be had is that Arnold was disgruntled and unhappy. He might have been neither a patriot nor a traitor but, like most of us, stuck somewhere in between with a set of circumstances that he did not understand. The Fake News battle between Fox News, CNN, MSNBC, President Trump, the Republicans and the Democrats might be better viewed as a fight over the lie upon which we will eventually agree.

In the story of Joseph, it is evident that the history of the family has been constructed around an agreed upon lie, one that said that Joseph had been killed by a wild animal. Of course, the other sons of Jacob know that the wild animal story was a fabrication, with the exception possibly on Benjamin, Joseph’s younger brother. But there is a suggestion that the whole family was aware of the lie. As the brothers speak about Joseph being “torn to pieces” the addendum to the statement is that the family has “not seen him since.” If Dad knew that Joseph had been torn to pieces, why would there be an expectation that he might see him again? But if the family was all in on the lie, allowing the lie to survive because the implication of the truth to the family dynamics was too much to contemplate, then maybe even Dad was still holding out hope that he might see his son again.

But, at this moment, it was the lie that was holding the family together. The truth of what the sons of Jacob did to their brother, and to their father, was a truth that could only end in bitterness and a family that was torn apart. So, for now, the lie was the better option. But the lie would not be able to survive the reappearance of Joseph, which was now just around the corner.

Tomorrow’s Scripture Reading: Genesis 45