When did hypocrisy become the greatest of all vices?
I obviously overstate but to look at the news is to see joyous revelry at revelations of hypocrisy – Larry Craig, Al Gore’s flying around in private jets, John Edwards driving an SUV and on and on.
True, Jesus wasn’t into hypocrites – particularly religious ones. And no one likes hypocrites – though in some form we are all hypocritical about something or another. Choosing the nearest example I can find, for instance, me. I am full of hypocrisy. I talk about the importance of walking with Jesus and yet my walk is so often a backwards crawl. I talk about the poor but could give more. I talk about love and yet can get really, really ticked off. You get the point.
No, we shouldn’t honor hypocrisy. It is certainly not a good thing. But to become fixated with hypocrisy is to miss deeper and bigger matters.