Hypocrisy

Once upon a time the only word that could be leveled against the church was “Christian” (little Christ.) The church was known as nothing more than a small band of Christ-followers. Amazingly this was intended to be a derogatory critique of “The Way.”

Today the criticism is much more poignant. Far from being a compliment in disguise, many in our country have used the term “hypocrite” to describe the followers of “The Way.” Some have even gone so far as to conclude that their only option is to dispense with Christianity altogether in order to rid themselves of such unpleasant company. Unfair? Untrue? Maybe a bit brash and misguided, but many have seen this hypocrisy first hand and have the wounds to prove it.

Thankfully many in the church have recognized the call to action and sought to change the culture of the church. Throughout my life I have heard many sermons, messages, and even casual references to hypocrisy and the need to “live what you preach.” It has become one of the benchmark lessons in any evangelical upbringing – “A genuine faith not only preaches the Word, it lives the Word.

A rudimentary but still accurate definition of hypocrisy could read as follows: “saying one thing and doing another.” Basic, but does the trick.

Many have used such a definition and chosen to solve the problem by insisting that we must live it, not just preach it. Our actions must match our professed faith or else we rightly wear the title of hypocrite.

But what about the other half of the equation? What about taking a look at what we are “preaching” in the first place? Is it possible that the label of hypocrite has as much to do with our inconsistent message as it does with our inconsistent actions? I think the world finds it far more easy to believe that we are a bunch of sinners in need of grace than to believe the often implied messages of superiority or exclusivity.

What messages, verbal or otherwise, are we sending about our faith? Does the church earn a reputation as an open or welcoming place? Do “outsiders” feel free to “come as they are?” Once inside the church walls, will they feel safe to reveal their brokenness and need for grace? Or are they forced to hide their imperfections because they are not welcomed within the community of the redeemed?

What if the church developed a reputation for openly confessing our sins to one another? What if we were known for our willingness to accept our frailty and our tendency to cast ourselves at the feet of the Merciful One? What if we were simply known as a bunch of Christ-followers who work together to follow Christ more closely? Could the term hypocrite even be leveled against such a community?