People hate hypocrites. They do. In many ways, they are seen as one of the lowest forms of life...things that are not worthy of attention, much less any positive regard.In the eyes of so many, the Church is seen as the ultimate repository of people who can be classified as nothing other than "hypocrite." Smug and santimonious souls who sit back demanding that others follow the rules when they themselves transgress in so many ways.
And this is no urban myth. It does happen. It happens because we often think we are righteous in our own eyes. We like to convince ourselves of wished-for realities that have never been a part of our own lives. We lie to ourselves about our powers and quash our doubts by forcing rules on others. We go on like this for a long time, demanding perfection and never admitting our own woeful failures.
I desperately desire to avoid hypocrisy. It is destructive...it is damaging...and it is a lie. Yet as a minister, I know that people will come to me for moral direction. For spiritual guidance. To them I am a role model and in some sense am called upon to be as perfect as possible. And whether or not I have always followed the advice I must give them, I know I must give it because I believe and know its true.
The problem is that I'm not perfect. Far from it.
So does giving firm direction and/or telling others they are wrong in areas where one has faltered oneself make a person a hypocrite? It's a good question.
Yes, if I do so as if I was perfect. As if the wrong choice that a person might make is so obvious and easy that only the most ignorant or depraved would choose it. And believe me, the urge to treat someone like that can sometimes be a temptation.
No, if I can be honest about my own mistakes. If I can admit that wrong choices are sometimes easiest. If I can use my own experiences to help others understand wiser courses and better roads. If both of us can seek God's truth by the power of His grace.
For in the end, I would hope that guiding someone away from the mistakes one has made is not hypocrisy at all, but love.
1 comment:
I find it much easier to listen to advice from a fellow sinner than from one who professes never to have sinned. There's a "we're all in this messy human condition together" camaradarie that can come into play while we earnestly regret our failures and commit ourselves to doing better.
Don't compare; identify.
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