“Sheep in Wolves’ clothing”. That’s what Jesus called people who pretended to be one thing while really being something else. They often masquerade as good and caring but are really just trying to get something from you. Snake oil sellers – Phishers – Scammers – Tent preachers. “Caveat Emptor” – Let the Buyer Beware – began as a Latin legal principle and concludes with “for he ought not to be ignorant of the nature of the property which he is buying from another party”. In other words, do your homework. Read the fine print. Don’t be so trusting. Don’t take their words at face value.
But the culture we live in seems to be dominated by tricksters looking for wealth and power and gullible people looking for confirmation of their own biases. Once you get sucked in, it is so hard to leave, like some kind of death cult forcing you to cling to them as if they were the only flotation device in the shallow end. And instead of standing on your own two feet, you wallow in the fear, buying what the liars are selling you. Like so many churches I have attended while on vacation: We are a Friendly place, they told me – we welcome everyone! Their smiles belied the small print underneath that had an asterisk – *except for…. I know a lot of people who attend worship at mega-churches and have no idea that the leadership and theology of those congregations hate their gay cousin. And their Muslim coworker. On the surface, they are the kindest of all people. Underneath? Not so much.
Jesus understood this, so He told His followers, when He sent them out into the world to tell of the coming apocalypse, to “Be wise as serpents and gentle as doves”. Listen, but verify. Love, but don’t get abused. Help, but don’t get taken. And if you tell the story and people ignore you, move on; life is too short to waste time on folks who don’t care. And if you are looking for a faith community that is trustworthy, keep looking – we are out there. Just be careful – there are lots of scammers in long robes quoting Scripture. Use your brain and read the small print.
Prayer – Holy God, may our interactions with each other be filled with integrity, and may we all be able to trust. Amen,
Today’s art is “Trust” by Michael Lapico.