Sharon and I were sitting in the living room a few nights back when the dogs started barking incessantly. It was the tell tale bark that someone was actually coming to the house, not to be confused with the similar bark they utilize when a leaf blows across the front yard. Within a matter of seconds, the front door burst open and I could tell someone was in the house.
It is not unusual for a number of people to enter our house, without knocking or unannounced. However, this time as I looked up, I saw a large man wearing a dark pinstripe suit. He had broad shoulders, the size you might see on a football field on Sunday afternoon. His face was huge, similar to Sal Bonpensiero from the Sopranos. The intruder was rough looking, like the kind of guy you would expect to meet if you are unable to pay off your gambling debts. Everything about his appearance shouted stay out of his way.
However, my concern about the possible home invader lasted only a second as I quickly realized it was my son Matthew, obviously on his way to a Halloween party of some kind. It was a great costume! I don’t know, but I would not be surprised if he won a prize of some kind. When he left the house to go to the party, he was carrying a baseball bat to lend a little more authenticity to the mobster facade.
Halloween has become a really big deal for many people. Stores display supplies several weeks ahead of time, more and more people are decorating their yards each year, and costumes have become much more elaborate than the simple throwaway plastic mask and paper thin clothing we wore as children. Exotic haunted houses and jubilant parties fill the late evening for many after the kids have completed the trick or treat rounds.
Halloween was always my least favorite holiday. Although I like to eat a small amount, I have never been a true candy connoisseur. It never took very long for me to pick out the candy pieces I would eat when we spread the contents from the sack on the dining table. When I was young, it was a much more innocent time so it was quite common to receive fresh fruit or homemade goodies. Now, if you even think about distributing something that is not professionally sealed at a candy factor, they will haul you downtown for questioning and your name will start appearing on child molester lists.
The reason I did not enjoy Halloween is because I could never find a good costume. The purpose of a costume is to hide your identity. I have been in a wheelchair or walking on crutches all my life. Try to hide that reality with a costume. Regardless of how good the outfit, people would always look at me and say, "Hi Terry!"
We like to wear costumes so we can pretend to be something we are not. Hiding behind a mask opens up numerous possibilities for us. We can do things we would never do normally, but since no one recognizes us, we can be more free.
In ancient Greek theater, the actors wore masks to give them a new identity. They took on the role of the face of the mask. A man might actually become a woman if it was dictated by the mask. The term utilized to describe this actor, wearing a mask and pretending to be someone else, is the same word we use for "hypocrite." Thus, a hypocrite is someone pretending to be someone else.
Halloween is a good time to think about hypocrisy. If you have ever invited friends to attend church with you, then you have probably heard someone say no because "the church is full of hypocrites." We have heard it so long that we are in danger of believing that it is actually true.
I do not believe the church is filled with hypocrites. This criticism usually comes after a Christian is caught red-handed in some type of sinful activity. The implication is that Christians think they are perfect and then when they are exposed as sinners, it means they are also hypocrites. However, I don’t know of any church member who believes that Christians are perfect. The church is filled with sinners, not hypocrites.
That is the beauty of admitting our sinfulness. We do not need to pretend to be perfect. Notice I used the word "pretend," because we cannot be perfect. When we sin, we are not surprised. However, the difference between followers of Jesus and non-followers is that we are forgiven. Perhaps the world sees that as a claim of perfection, but it is not.
Last summer during the baseball season, Texas Ranger Josh Hamilton was exposed for being involved in a drinking party in Arizona. It would not be newsworthy except for the fact he has a well-known drug and alcohol problem. He has also been very outspoken about his faith in Jesus to help him through the personal struggles. When word got out about his fallen evening, people began quickly to label Hamilton a hypocrite. `
However, he had already confessed this sin to God, his wife, his team, and everyone else who was involved with him personally. In all the times he had shared his testimony, he never claimed to be perfect, only a sinner saved by grace. Once everything was understood, it was apparent he is not a hypocrite, but just one who has found forgiveness.
We had many laughs the other night with Matthew and his mobster costume. As much as we enjoyed the costume, we much prefer the real Matthew underneath. We know him and love him for who he truly is, not some pretend character. The next time you are tempted to put on a façade in order to impress someone, try to allow the real you to be seen. You will probably be surprised that they like the real you better than the pretend you.
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