Real and authentic. In the fake, plastic, shallow, synthetic, enriched, imitation, man-made, artificial, pretend, makeover, image-conscious, "crab-like," hypocrisy-filled age in which we live, it's hard to find the genuine article. Whether it's real leather, real wood, real silk, real diamonds or real people, it's a real jackpot when you find an authentic one! So, girls, moms, daughters ... how real are you?
Unfortunately, many of us live in Hypocriteville. According to Random House Unabridged Dictionary the profile of the village hypocrite is simply:
a person who pretends to have virtues, moral or religious beliefs, principles, etc., that he or she does not actually possess; a person whose actions belie stated beliefs. A person who feigns some desirable or publicly approved attitude, but one whose private life, opinions, or statements belie his or her public statements.
Welcome to Hypocriteville.
Hypocriteville is alive and thriving. It's the artificial, synthetic place where people live — pretending to live a lifestyle they can't afford. It's the "I've got it together" air that insulates us from real relationships because ... God-forbid anyone discovered we are empty and lonely, It's an addiction we cover, a secret we hide, a vicarious, voyeuristic lifestyle we'd never admit. It's pretending to be what we are not. The whole deal is fake, plastic, skanky.
Hypocriteville has infiltrated the church world, too. Jesus hammered on this. It's easy to be phony in church, if you want to. Anyone can do the church thing, learn the lingo, figure out how fake it and play pretend churchianity. If you fight, fuss, backstab, gossip, cheat, lie, curse, sleaze and rationalize bad behavior Monday through Saturday, but put on the church-face, sing a few blah-blah hymns and go through the motions Sunday after Sunday you can be a Hypocriteville citizen in good standing. Work at it a bit and you can be the Mayor!
Personally, I don't think any of us really want to be a hypocrite. I really don't think too many people actively pursue a disingenuous life. Most hypocrites despise it in their heart of hearts, but they feel trapped.
So, is there any way to escape from disgusting Hypocriteville? There is! Over the years, when I've seen hypocrisy in my own life, this is the route I've taken to make my escape ...
Make A Beeline To The Metropolis of Brutally-Honest. This is where we pull off all the masks, look in the mirror, call a spade a spade, kick ourselves in the fanny and face the music. Take an honest inventory of the real us. Who are we when no one is looking? Do we like what we see?
Follow The Highway To Humbletown. This is where the gig is up. We humble ourselves, quit believing our own press and really come to recognize that we on our own are not all that. We apologize to God and others. We stay humble when we're slammed by our fellow hypocrites — because face it, our exodus from the Ville won't be welcomed by everyone. We'll have to be strong and stay sweet in Humbletown.
Take The Straight And Narrow To Realville. This is the place where we live the life we profess. We walk what we talk. We choose to be real unselfish, real nice, real merciful, real caring, real giving, real honest, real patient, real kind, real joyful, real gentle, real genuine, real authentic as we live a real life.
Hypocriteville or Realville? So ... are you ready for a road trip?
Beth
