Hypocrisy Hunters are Hypocrites: Three Steps to Get Out of the New Political Game
As a nation we seem to be expertly skilled in exposing hypocrisy, pointing out differences in looks, and condemning people because they are not like us. Politics has behaved that way for decades, and as our society has turned from being overtly religious, everything has now become political. Every person, a politician. Every idea, an opportunity for attack. Every face, subject to our scrutiny. And every person’s story, mere fodder for negative campaigning.
The latest focus of our perpetual outrage is a county clerk in Kentucky. I won’t bore you with details about why she is in the news this week. What I noticed in my corner of the world was that many of the people who disliked her ideas wouldn't settle for disagreeing with what she thought, they also tore into her physical appearance and personal history. One former pastor saw the same thing and wrote, “it’s a good thing the woman at the well in Samaria met Jesus instead of people on social media today.”
The political game in the States is to appear better than your opponent. The ideas matter less than the presentation. Scandals can be anything and everything, or even nothing. Perception is reality. Career politicians, with their hoards of cash and teams of aids, have a hard enough time dredging their bellies through the muck. Us mere mortals fail at every turn.
I have no solutions on how our society as a whole can turn away from its toxic talking-head syndrome, but I have found helpful reminders in Scripture on how we, as God’s people, can give up our seats at the gaming table.
Step One: Watch Your Tongue
Technology has made it easier for our tongues to do permanent damage. Thoughts in our heads go away with little harm done. A harsh word spoken can sting for a while and then pass with time. But an angry text, comment, email, or message can linger as long as the recipient chooses to keep it. Now more than ever we must watch what we say with our tongues, type with our fingers, or push with our thumbs.
James reminds us, “the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and sea creatures are being tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison” (3:5-8).
When we see or hear something that enrages us, it’s easy to consider our tongues to be our most powerful weapons. We can share that snarky comment. We can advertise that hypocrisy we spot. We can make public that private thought we had about someone’s appearance. And so on. But James reminds us that in some ways our tongues control us. This summer we’ve had hazy days in South Dakota from wildfires taking place hundreds of miles away in Washington, and each of those fires ignited with a single spark. Our tongues can spark all sorts of fires within ourselves that spread across the World Wide Web. Our tongues have no rest, for as soon as one fire dies out a new one takes its place.
Buck the trend to market your life and simply live it. If what you are about to say or type is not for the building up of others or the glory of God, then think twice before speaking or posting it.
Step Two: Remember God’s Image
As Christians we believe that all humans are created in God’s image. Humans have value because they are human, not because they were wanted by their mothers before birth, can contribute to society’s liking, or look and think just like we do. Just like freedom of speech is meaningless unless we allow for speech we deem disgusting, believing that all humans are made in God’s image is meaningless unless we look for it in people who drive us nuts.
Mr. Rogers was a pastor before he had his children’s show, and he put it this way: “Frankly, there isn’t anyone you couldn’t learn to love once you’ve heard their story.” We often hear other people’s stories halfway, filtering them through the bias we already held for or against them. We have to hear each other’s stories afresh without the political game whispering in our ear and replace it with Jesus’ reminder that everyone is made in God’s image.
That brings me back to the woman at the well in John chapter 4. Her story was one of five husbands and a relationship with someone who was not currently her husband. Her story was one of ostracism, as she avoided other people and went to her work alone. Her story was one of expecting others to dismiss her. But Jesus didn’t listen to her story to hunt for hypocrisy. Instead, he reveals himself to her in ways he doesn’t to anyone else in the Gospel of John. He tells her plainly that he is Israel’s Messiah, and he offers her living water. He saw God’s image in her in the present by asking her for a drink and treating her with respect despite her past.
Step Three: Be a Witness
A popular site recently produced a video entitled “I’m A Christian, But I'm Not.” It’s not worth your time to seek it out, because the video’s title could easily end with the word “really.” Reactions often cause overreactions, and it is tempting to overreact to the vitriol of politicking all around by crawling in a hole and refusing to speak or share anything meaningful. Or speaking plenty, but saying the same exact thing popular culture says, as the people in the "I'm a Christian, But" video tend to do. Such behavior is sub-Christian, for Christ has commissioned us to be his witnesses, not culture's witnesses. As Christ's witnesses we actively point to Christ, not ourselves.
There are helpful and unhelpful ways to be Jesus’ witness. Jesus himself revealed to us that his way was one of building relationships, doing good works, and showing love to others while never skimping on the truth. The people he forgave and healed he told to go and sin no more. He didn’t pretend that sin wasn’t sin, nor did he minimize its consequences. Rather, he died for them.
Jesus calls us salt and light to the world and tells us to do this: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt 5:13-16).
Life is more than politics, and when we watch our tongues, look for God’s image in others, and actively point to Christ, we’ll get back to doing what Christ has called us to do. We’re never supposed to be hypocrisy hunters, we’re commissioned to be faithful witnesses.
The latest focus of our perpetual outrage is a county clerk in Kentucky. I won’t bore you with details about why she is in the news this week. What I noticed in my corner of the world was that many of the people who disliked her ideas wouldn't settle for disagreeing with what she thought, they also tore into her physical appearance and personal history. One former pastor saw the same thing and wrote, “it’s a good thing the woman at the well in Samaria met Jesus instead of people on social media today.”
The political game in the States is to appear better than your opponent. The ideas matter less than the presentation. Scandals can be anything and everything, or even nothing. Perception is reality. Career politicians, with their hoards of cash and teams of aids, have a hard enough time dredging their bellies through the muck. Us mere mortals fail at every turn.
I have no solutions on how our society as a whole can turn away from its toxic talking-head syndrome, but I have found helpful reminders in Scripture on how we, as God’s people, can give up our seats at the gaming table.
Step One: Watch Your Tongue
Technology has made it easier for our tongues to do permanent damage. Thoughts in our heads go away with little harm done. A harsh word spoken can sting for a while and then pass with time. But an angry text, comment, email, or message can linger as long as the recipient chooses to keep it. Now more than ever we must watch what we say with our tongues, type with our fingers, or push with our thumbs.
James reminds us, “the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole body, sets the whole course of one’s life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and sea creatures are being tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison” (3:5-8).
When we see or hear something that enrages us, it’s easy to consider our tongues to be our most powerful weapons. We can share that snarky comment. We can advertise that hypocrisy we spot. We can make public that private thought we had about someone’s appearance. And so on. But James reminds us that in some ways our tongues control us. This summer we’ve had hazy days in South Dakota from wildfires taking place hundreds of miles away in Washington, and each of those fires ignited with a single spark. Our tongues can spark all sorts of fires within ourselves that spread across the World Wide Web. Our tongues have no rest, for as soon as one fire dies out a new one takes its place.
Buck the trend to market your life and simply live it. If what you are about to say or type is not for the building up of others or the glory of God, then think twice before speaking or posting it.
Step Two: Remember God’s Image
As Christians we believe that all humans are created in God’s image. Humans have value because they are human, not because they were wanted by their mothers before birth, can contribute to society’s liking, or look and think just like we do. Just like freedom of speech is meaningless unless we allow for speech we deem disgusting, believing that all humans are made in God’s image is meaningless unless we look for it in people who drive us nuts.
Mr. Rogers was a pastor before he had his children’s show, and he put it this way: “Frankly, there isn’t anyone you couldn’t learn to love once you’ve heard their story.” We often hear other people’s stories halfway, filtering them through the bias we already held for or against them. We have to hear each other’s stories afresh without the political game whispering in our ear and replace it with Jesus’ reminder that everyone is made in God’s image.
That brings me back to the woman at the well in John chapter 4. Her story was one of five husbands and a relationship with someone who was not currently her husband. Her story was one of ostracism, as she avoided other people and went to her work alone. Her story was one of expecting others to dismiss her. But Jesus didn’t listen to her story to hunt for hypocrisy. Instead, he reveals himself to her in ways he doesn’t to anyone else in the Gospel of John. He tells her plainly that he is Israel’s Messiah, and he offers her living water. He saw God’s image in her in the present by asking her for a drink and treating her with respect despite her past.
Step Three: Be a Witness
A popular site recently produced a video entitled “I’m A Christian, But I'm Not.” It’s not worth your time to seek it out, because the video’s title could easily end with the word “really.” Reactions often cause overreactions, and it is tempting to overreact to the vitriol of politicking all around by crawling in a hole and refusing to speak or share anything meaningful. Or speaking plenty, but saying the same exact thing popular culture says, as the people in the "I'm a Christian, But" video tend to do. Such behavior is sub-Christian, for Christ has commissioned us to be his witnesses, not culture's witnesses. As Christ's witnesses we actively point to Christ, not ourselves.
There are helpful and unhelpful ways to be Jesus’ witness. Jesus himself revealed to us that his way was one of building relationships, doing good works, and showing love to others while never skimping on the truth. The people he forgave and healed he told to go and sin no more. He didn’t pretend that sin wasn’t sin, nor did he minimize its consequences. Rather, he died for them.
Jesus calls us salt and light to the world and tells us to do this: “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot. You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt 5:13-16).
Life is more than politics, and when we watch our tongues, look for God’s image in others, and actively point to Christ, we’ll get back to doing what Christ has called us to do. We’re never supposed to be hypocrisy hunters, we’re commissioned to be faithful witnesses.
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