Hypocrisy ??

The Many Faces of Christianity

I wonder how many Christians have a different face for home, for church, for work, for family, for friends, for private, and for public. Over the years, it has been my sad observation that many Christians have at least three different faces they present to the world – depending on which part of their world they are in at the time. I don’t have a problem with this except that I know it’s not right and that Jesus does not approve. The real trouble with this is that the world is no different from you and I and they actually see these different faces too. Hey, we’re none of us perfect, so I expect you can level some of this at me too.

If you were to do a survey for a one word description of Christianity, the huge majority of the world would say, “Hypocrites”. Actually, they would be agreeing with Jesus there. Did He not call the religious people of His time, “White-washed Sepulchres”? Did John the Baptist not also label them, “A brood of vipers”? Did Jesus not also say, about criticism of one another, “You hypocrite – first cast the plank out of your own eye before you criticise the speck in your brothers eye.” So once again the words of Jesus ring true today just as much as they did 2000 years ago.

Actually, I have learned a serious lesson this last week. I am involved in a scheme where discretion has to be high on the list of attributes of belonging. Yet despite my own plea for greater discretion, guess who was the first blabber mouth to speak about it all? Fortunately I “only” spoke to one who knew about the situation so the damage was limited. I can but imagine what would have happened had I chosen a wider audience. It is so easy to slip into ‘chat mode’ with friends and in doing so, many have overstepped into the realm of gossip – me included.

Then there are those who present one face at church, another face at home, and another when out and about at work or shopping. In church we are all very Christian and people think only the very best of us. At home, we can be anything from a raging religious bigot, to a closet drinker/adulterer or other such person. At work we are probably very much worldly – joining in the office gossip, politics, and worldly jokes. Three very different faces of a Christian.

Yet what does Jesus really want? He wants those who are in the world but not of the world. And what exactly is that when it’s at home? I think we need to be a perfectly normal person who happens to be a Christian, rather than the label wearing, Bible quoting, holier-than-thou bigot the world rightly or wrongly sees. My favourite quotation is from Francis of Assisi, “Preach the Gospel at all times, and when necessary, use words”. We need to start acting Christian rather than speaking Christian. This will have a much greater and further reaching effect.

Let Christians learn discretion with their words and do more ‘preaching’ via their actions. Then, just maybe, we will start to earn even a tiny bit of respect for our religious views. Maybe then, people might start asking us about what Christianity is and what it means to us. Maybe then, we might make a habitation fit for the Lord and revival may just start. Who knows?

Something to think about ??