Daily Lenten Devotion for 3/12

“You then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who brag about the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law?” – Romans 2:21-23

Even in first century Rome, hypocrisy among Christians seemed to be a problem. Why, two millennia later, have we not improved on this? Why do we still preach one thing and do another? Why do we present Christianity by way of “Do as I say, not as I do?”

It’s because we Christians want to have our cake and eat it too. We want to be in a right relationship with God, because clearly it is important to do so. Yet we also want to be in a right relationship with others, and there is a nagging desire to “fit in.” So we act just Christian enough to feel like we’re stepping out of our comfort zone, but we manage to leave one foot behind so that we aren’t labeled a “Jesus freak,” a “religious nut-job,” or a “member of a cult.” We take one step toward God, but only one step, so we can proclaim that we are approaching God while still “fitting in” with those around us.

In his book “The Irresistible Revolution”, Shane Claiborne speaks of his fear of becoming “cool.” He spoke at a high school once, and was introduced as “the coolest Christian ever,” or something of that sort. The first thing he did following that introduction was ask for a pair of scissors – and he promptly cut off all of his “cool” multi-colored dreadlocks. He then told the students he was afraid that he had become too cool. His goal was not to be cool, but to be faithful to God’s call on his life.

What if we stopped trying to be cool? What if we “practiced what we preach”? What if we “walked the walk” rather than just “talked the talk”? I realize these are over-used clichés, but that doesn’t mean we should not listen to what they tell us. If we are to truly witness to our faith, we must be willing to lift both feet off the ground, leaping into a relationship with God no matter where that lands us – even if we land in the territory of “un-cool.” Are we really practicing what we preach?