Hypocrisy on Facebook

It never occurred to me that I might one day find myself praying to God about Facebook.  But that day has come.  Actually it arrived last year some time, in the midst of the political campaigns for the presidency of the U.S.A.  I’ve long been a registered Republican, and had strongly disapproved of Barack Obama when he was elected the first time.  (In fact, I wrote several blogs here about him back then.)  As he was running for re-election, I didn’t see a suitable opponent.  I had initially thought Hillary Clinton would take his place, but then it became clear that the only real choice would be between Obama and Mitt Romney.

 

Of course there was no shortage of positive or negative rhetoric about either of the candidates running for President.  But I found myself with reservations about Mitt Romney.  No, it wasn’t his Mormon faith.  I actually have a lot of respect for many of the ideals and values espoused (and held to) by the Mormons.  Rather it was a sense that Mitt Romney might not be as sincere in his caring for all of the people.  Much as I hate to admit it, some of his remarks about people who are poor, handicapped, or even unemployed seemed strangely reminiscent of now-deceased billionaire Leona Helmsley who was quoted as having once said that, “Only the little people pay taxes.”

 

So I turned to Facebook to try and find worthwhile understanding other than my own.  From time to time, I would pose a question, usually about Mitt Romney.  Several times I tried to start a dialogue about the issues.  Does Mitt Romney really have a plan to bring our country’s deficit spending under control?  Do we really believe that reducing tax rates will result in increased tax revenue with which to pay for our government’s spending?  But time and time again, questions like this on Facebook would result in the exact same outcome.  The Obama-bashers would in outrage ask some stupid question like, “Would you like four more years of Obama destroying our country?”  Never once did they answer my question, mind you.  They would just try to “disarm” me with a condemning question --- resting on the assumption that I was an Obama supporter (which I am not).

 

It’s of course no secret that I’m a born-again Christian.  I spend my life with great concentration on the teachings of Jesus Christ.  I work hard to reconcile my sinful nature and selfish desires to the godly standards of the Old and New Testament.  And as you might imagine, a great percentage of my friends and even my acquaintances are also Christians.  At least that’s what they would have you believe.  Frankly, the bullying and hateful disrespect that some of them displayed (on Facebook) had me wondering if they could really be following the same Christ that I do. 

 

At times I would try to point out the hypocrisy that seemed apparent to me.  I would try to re-engage them back on the original topic at hand.  After all, I really did want to discuss the issues.  But I had no interest in demonizing either candidate.  Ultimately, I failed in those endeavors.  My so-called Christian “friends” prevailed in their desire to hold on to their hatred and disrespect, demonizing Obama and trying to bully me for not joining them.  Eventually, I began to “unfriend” them on Facebook.  That didn’t stop some of them, so I had to go back and actually block them from even seeing my wall or communicating with me.  This was quite sad for me.  I’ve known some of them for nearly 20 years.  I also had thought of them as godly men.  (I don’t any more.)

 

There is plenty of Scripture in the Bible that tells Christians how we are to regard our government and its leaders.  Romans 13:1-7 says that, “Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. …. Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the (governmental) authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.”

 

Did you catch that last part?  If you owe respect … then give respect.  If you owe honor … then give honor.  They are no less important than paying the taxes that you owe.  This passage makes it abundantly clear that we are to obey the government God places over us. We are to obey the government in everything—paying taxes, obeying rules and laws, and showing respect. If we do not, we are ultimately showing disrespect towards God, for He is the One who placed that government over us.

 

When the apostle Paul wrote this letter to the Romans, he was under the authority of the Roman government during the reign of Nero, who is notorious for – among other things – being quite possibly the most evil of all the Roman emperors. Nevertheless Paul still recognized the Roman government’s rule over him. Do we dare do any less today? 

 

Recently I had to “unfriend” an old classmate from high school.  I had reconnected with her not long ago, and thought it would be fun to catch up.  That didn’t turn out to be the case.  While professing to be a Christ follower, and quoting Scripture regularly, she also refers to our (now re-elected) President Obama as “the antichrist” (sic).  When I tried to point out the error of her thinking, she reacted the same way those other Facebook friends had reacted last fall.  I got a severe tongue lashing for refusing to join or support her demonizing of Obama.  I cautiously tried to discuss the issue with her, but was quickly attacked by her adult children as well.  Finally I retreated, apologized for offending her, encouraged her to review her position with her pastor, and, of course, “unfriended” and blocked her. 

 

Sadly, my self-proclaimed Christian Facebook friends don’t appear to be familiar with the context of what Paul said to the Romans.  Even if Obama were the “antichrist,” the command for Christians would not change.  Obama may have been elected by the American people, but he got his position and his authority from God.  Therefore, it is necessary to submit to him not only because of the law, but also, as Romans 13 tells us, because of conscience.  You see, we honor God when we give respect to those in authority over us – whether that is at work, at church, in government or anywhere else. 

 

One of the things we mistakenly conclude is that if we don’t agree with someone then we don’t have to submit to them.  We may think that they “don’t deserve” our respect (as if anyone could).  I’ve heard people say that the politician whom they think is vile “hasn’t earned” our respect.  But who has earned our respect?  After all, each of us is so terribly flawed and bent toward sin and evil that we required the salvation of a Messiah.  It’s good to remember that when looking at those in authority over us (and others) whom we don’t agree with. 

You see, I don’t have to agree with you, support your policies, or even like you in order to submit to you, show respect for you, obey you, and even love you.  Love is patient and kind, it always forgives, it never gives up, it is never harsh, and all those other things that 1 Corinthians 13 teaches us. 

So, here’s the question:  Have you loved your politician (insert name here) today?  I started out saying that I never imagined I'd be praying to God about Facebook.  But as I've encountered this conflict and nasty business on Facebook, I've found myself bewildered by so-called Christians who were behaving so heinously that I didn't know how to react.  So I've found myself praying, asking God to show me how to respond to someone.  Fortunately, He's been willing to guide me.  In some cases, I've been able to re-focus the conversation in a more righteous direction.  In other cases, I've been led to "shake the dust off my feet" and move on. 

I have to say that in those cases, it gives me no pleasure to "unfriend" someone on Facebook.  For I realize that they are lost in their hypocrisy and have a reckoning day coming that will surely be ugly.  Because I love them, I don't want to see that in their future.  I wonder if anyone ever sees my hypocrisy so clearly.  And I wonder if they do, would they love me enough to try to call me out on it.

Carnal Christian?

Religion is an interesting paradigm, if you examine it in the context of its culture. Here in the U.S.A., I believe most segments of our culture prefer to be of some religion. By that I mean that most people would agree it's a good thing to identify yourself with a religion. But which religion you claim for yourself doesn't seem to be nearly so important as is the simple fact that you are of some religion.

Indeed, our modern culture seems to not even flinch when people convert from one religion to another --- providing they are switching between commonly accepted (and embraced) religions in our culture. Some religions are viewed more as cults or simply perversions of of more mainstream religions. Mormonism would be an example. While Mormons are typically outstanding citizens, our culture sees their religion as being on the fringe, at best.

Oddly enough, we don't seem to worry much about the God a religion focuses on. Rather we focus on the rules of each religion. So we tend to look at religions by focusing on their differences. You might, for instance, hear someone mention a religion what you're not familiar with. Immediately your mind goes to the potential differences. You may ask, "So how does that religion differ from my religion?"

I find it strange that we don't first try to examine what the religions have in common. I've learned some important truths that would seem to make that a wiser way to look at various religions. Let's take a look.

The vast majority of wars fought in the history of the world have been fought over religion or religious principles. Christians versus Catholics. Catholics versus Muslims. Communists versus Jews. And those are just to name a few. We still have the entire range of issues found in religious persecution. (An example might be the Christians who were martyred for their efforts to translate the Bible into the English language.)

• People tend to live peaceably with each other when they focus on their points of agreement (as opposed to focusing on their points of disagreement). It is more than likely that the thousands of denominations (religions) in the world have a great deal in common. Morality-based behaviors, for example, tend to be common to all religions. Reverence for the god of each religion, respect for parents, celebration of children, and stewardship of financial resources don't tend to vary much from one religion to the other.

Now the great travesty in any religion is when its people don't live their alleged values. They'll claim to be Christian or Catholic or Muslim, etc. But their lives don't look much different than the lives of the culture they find themselves in. Said differently, their religion doesn't seem to have had much impact at all on their lifestyles.
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Christianity (and Judaism that preceded it in the Old Testament) has always been plagued by hypocrites. Jesus Christ spoke firmly to the Pharisees and others who tried to impress man-made notions and rules onto the actual Words of God. To put it bluntly, there've always been those who were religious --- but not godly. And therein lies the problem that virtually all religions seem to face. It doesn't matter whether the religion is "mainstream" or not. The fact is any religion always seems to have considerably more people who claim its values than live its values. They're modern-day hypocrites and Pharisees.
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Of course, Christianity is no exception to this rule. Indeed, modern Christianity in the U.S. is probably in far worse trouble on this front than even its own leaders would imagine. People will claim to "believe in God," and make statements to that effect boldly. But the core values of Christianity (i.e., put God first and love others as you would want to be loved yourself) are sorely lacking in the lives of these so-called "believers."

The Apostle Paul (and others) spoke and wrote extensively about people who don't live their own values. In 1 Corinthians 3:1-2, Paul makes a clear distinction between "spiritual" Christians who live life fully yielded to the Holy Spirit - and "carnal" Christians who tend to live life based on their own understanding. These latter folks tend to make decisions based on what they want most, and you don't find much in their lives that is yielded to the will of God.
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Of course, the Bible tells us that "all of heaven" celebrates when even one person makes a decision to become a Christ-follower. (Luke 15:7) But Jesus said just as clearly that He would have no use for those who are "luke warm" and who's faith has not differentiated them in the world. (Matthew 7:21-23, Revelation 3:15-16) In fact, Jesus considers these so-called "believers" to be "evil doers." Did you know that? Simply claiming to be a Christian - but not actually living a life that's fully surrendered to Christ and His ways - makes one an "evil doer" in Jesus' eyes!
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I get very aggravated when I see (mostly) televangelists, for example, advising people that "all they have to do" is "say a simple prayer." So they lead the masses in prayer and then celebrate the number of people who allegedly "got saved." But it's not just on television. Our local churches in the U.S.A. commonly and routinely celebrate the number of people who "got saved." If they'll self-identify, most churches will send them some literature about being a Christian. Some will schedule a baptism ceremony. But frankly, I don't think that's enough.
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I remember about a year ago, one of my sons made a decision in favor of Christ while at a youth camp. That weekend, the youth pastor schedule what certainly felt like an "emergency baptism" ceremony. When questioned, he said he wanted to "get them while they're fresh." So we had a ceremony, baptized those youth and then celebrated the number of them that "got saved" at camp that year. Unfortunately, that wasn't enough. For the most part, they continued to live as they had before. In fact, my own son's life today likes absolutely no different than it did before. Like many teen-agers, he's as stubborn and rebellious as ever.
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I can't help but think about Jesus' words. You see, it's clear that Jesus doesn't care how many "got saved" or "came to Christ" at youth camp. Jesus doesn't give a hoot about the baptism ceremony that was hurriedly scheduled on the fly to "catch 'em while they're fresh." Quite simply, Jesus says if they aren't growing in Christ and exhibiting an albeit emerging Christ-likeness ... He will consider them evil-doers and He will not plan to acknowledge them to His Father (God). Yikes!
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You see, each born-again believer - regardless of their chronological age, must "grow in grace, and in the (transforming) knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." (2 Peter 3:18) It's called "spiritual growth" or "spiritual maturity." And it comes only through study of God's Word, accompanied by transforming belief and marked obedience. It is through this progressive obedience and emerging godliness, mimicking Christ's own character ... that we become God's children.
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It is NOT enough to "say a simple prayer." It is NOT enough to participate in a baptism ceremony. It is NOT enough to self-identify yourself as a Christ-follower. And it doesn't matter how you see yourself, how your pastor sees you, how your parents see you or how any other human being that ever walked the face of the earth sees you. The only thing that matters is how God Himself sees you. And He clearly says that without substantive evidence, we are evil-doers whom He intends to deny.
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So, how is your obedience today? Are you being led by the Holy Spirit in your thoughts, words and actions? Or are you being led by your own understanding and your own desires - doing whatever you think "is best?"

The Face of Christianity

I had breakfast the other day with a guy that I'm becoming good friends with. We attend the same mega-church and hadn't known each other before. But we kept hearing about each other. He reached out to me first. I'm pretty glad that he did too. A breakfast with Brad (that's his name) is complete with a lot of food for the mind and soul. I guess you could say it's thought leadership.

My new friend has founded a non-profit organization aimed squarely at Changing the Face of Christianity. You can check it out at http://www.changingthefacechristianity.com/. At first glance, you have to think about the mission of Brad's organization. I mean really think.

What is the face of Christianity? Why does it need to be changed? How would you change it? What would it look like after the change has occurred? How will we measure success in this mission? Even if I answer all of these questions - how can I know if my answers are accurate? What if my own perceptions need to be changed?

Most everyone has heard the analogy of people not being able to "see the trees for the forest." What it means is that we often can't see things from the inside looking out - as someone looking from the outside in can see. For example, I may live in a brick house. But from the inside looking out, I can't see any of the bricks. However, someone standing outside may only see the bricks.

At any rate, the forest-for-the-trees analogy proves true in most of life's circumstances. I suspect it proves true in Christianity. The people who call themselves Christians absolutely cannot see Christianity the same way as people who don't. Those observing Christianity from the outside looking in are getting an entirely different perspective. So one might ask my friend Brad if he's going to change the face of Christianity for the Christians ... or for the non-Christians? Or is he going to do it for both groups? And if so, is the approach the same for both groups?

The face of Christianity is admittedly a little disturbing sometimes. I've often thought I could write a book about Christians behaving badly. In fact, I've assumed that would be the title of my book, "Christians Behaving Badly." Unfortunately I have plenty of anecdotal evidence that I could use to write the book.

When it comes to Christians behaving badly, there are the extreme stories - like the Westboro Baptist Church in Kansas that marches on soldiers funerals declaring that God is killing U.S. soldiers because He hates our tolerance of homosexuality. And there are the more innocuous stories - like the ladies who installed a metal cross in the lawn of the church ... and hung a donuts & coffee sign on it to direct newcomers to the coffee bar.

So how did it get to this? Have we always had this problem ... of Christians not acting very Christ-like? There was Peter, a disciple of Christ, who denied that he even knew Christ three times before Jesus was crucified. Wasn't that a case of a Christ-follower behaving badly? (I think it was!) Did the early New Testament church(es) have this problem of people who attended regularly and were committed --- but who didn't look very much like Jesus?

Often we take aim at the people who call themselves Christians and don't come to church. "ChrEasters" is a moniker given to them. They are the ones who generally only attend church on Christmas and Easter. Those of us who attend regularly, volunteer and tithe tend to look down upon on the "ChrEasters." We subtly judge them for their lack of commitment. We may even question whether they are really Christians or not. And of course, we'd like to encourage them to act more like us --- and be at church every week.

But what's the truth here? Are the people who attend church regularly really more Christ-like? Does church attendance make a difference? It was Mahatma Gandhi I believe, who said, "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ." Similarly Mark Twain was quoted saying, "If Christ were here now there is one thing he would not be - a Christian." Essentially they were saying that the face of Christianity is pretty unattractive.

Honestly, I get their point point. I know a lot of so-called Christians. Many of them are difficult to love. They don't look anything like Christ. And while I am called to love them, I don't necessarily like them. They are broken people and they drag their brokenness with them everywhere they go. Oddly enough, some of them act more broken than they really are! In other words it isn't that they're weak or lack faith. Rather it's that they are lazy and selfish.

So changing the face of Christianity is becoming a more interesting topic for me these days. As I contemplate the dilemma and visit with my new friend who's been called to this important mission, I find myself thinking in business terms. Perhaps Jesus needs to re-brand Himself. Can we re-position Christianity in the marketplace? Does this organization (the broader body of Christians) need a massive paradigm shift? If so, what are we shifting it from? What will we shift it to?

One of the dilemmas that those of us inside Christianity seem to find ourselves in is that it cannot be measured in the ways we typically measure things. God said His ways would be different than ours. Somehow I suspect that God really does want to change the face of Christianity. Ironically, we are the face of Christianity --- those of us who consider ourselves Christ-followers. And it occurs to me that if we were more focused on looking like Christ, thinking like Christ and living like Christ, we would be changed people. And our face would change.

So I'm committed to changing the face of Christianity. I plan to stand right beside my brother Brad, locking arms in his mission. And I plan to start by changing that face that I see in the mirror!

American Hypocrisy

You probably missed this a few years ago. The Times of London, a reputable tabloid (if there is such a thing) based in the United Kingdom, reported on a study of the relationship between religion and societal health. The headline read, "Societies worse off 'when they have God on their side.'" (Read the article at http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article571206.ece.)

Essentially, the story isn't too blatant about it, but generally points to the failure of morality in America. Let's look at a few examples that have been cited in this respect. (Let' see if what they're saying about us is true.)

During the presidency of George W. bush, who asserted his Christianity, taxes were slashed on the very rich, millions more people were allowed to fall into poverty, staggering debts were passed on to future generations, Medicare and Medicaid for the elderly and poor were cut, and a questionable war was launched. these are antithetical to the teachings of Christ.

The U.S. (as I've blogged before) has the highest incarceration rate in the world. A 2003 Justice Dept. report found that about one in 37 adults living in the U.S. have either been in prison or were in prison (at the time of the study). That ratio, according to the U.S. Justice Dept., is at least 25% higher than any other nation on earth. A 2003 report to the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights said that the U.S. "now locks up its citizens at a rate 5-8 times that of industrial nations to which we are most similar, Canada and Western Europe."

An academic, cross-national study of the correlations of societal health with religion and secularism (referenced above) pointed to a striking contrast between the U.S. and other democratic nations (which aren't so religious). In America, it said, "a strong majority believe that religion is beneficial for society and for individuals." In the other developed democracies, however, religion continues to decline precipitously and avowed atheists often win high office.

What is so striking about this particular study is that the negative correlation between religion and societal health is unmistakable. "In general, higher rates of belief in and worship of a creator correlate with higher rates of homicide, juvenile and early adult mortality, STD infection rates, teen pregnancy, and abortion in the prosperous democracies." The report concluded that, "the most theistic prosperous democracy, the U.S., is almost always the most dysfunctional of the developed democracies and always scores poorly on the basic measures of societal health."

What are these people saying? They're saying that the U.S., as the world's wealthiest nation - with some of the worst social conditions, is therefore least efficient western nation in terms of converting wealth into cultural and physical health. In other words, their view is that wealth should translate into better cultural, societal and physical health. That it doesn't seems to point to a vast problem (at least in the experts' opinion).

So here's the thing. According to other studies I've read, something like 85% of the people in America profess to be Christians. But that appears to have little impact on how they live. In fact, in nations where the ratio (of Christians) goes the other direction, the behavior of the people is notably better. They live more modestly, are more disciplined and generally make a more positive impact on the rest of the world around them. What's up with that?

I've always been frustrated myself with the televangelists who tell people that, "All you have to do is say this simple little prayer and ask Jesus to come into your heart." Seriously, when I hear that I want to scream. It is a lie. That is not "all you have to do!" In fact, there is considerably more that you must do.

For starters, when you become a Christian, you have to change your priorities. You have to change your playground and your playmates. You have to give everything up - including your free will - and surrender it to the lordship of Jesus Christ. And you have to love and serve others sacrificially. Honestly, the list goes on. Christians are supposed to look markedly different than the world around them. If all you do is say the simple prayer, this blogger believes you will simply become a hypocrite.

One author I read stated it rather well, I think. He said, "(American) Christians are sayers and not doers. It is because they have been persuaded by the religious leaders in America that if they say they accept Jesus, what they do doesn't really matter. There is little to motivate them to act on behalf of others if they think there is already a spot saved for them in Heaven."

He continued, saying, "I know many Jews, Muslims, Hindus and Buddhists, as well as many agnostics and atheists who are far better followers of the teachings of Jesus than are vast numbers of people who call themselves Christians." Ouch! That hurts!

And there it is. The condemnation of morality in America. Despite the fact that I think this author is a heretic himself. Despite the fact that there's much he says which I don't agree with. I know what he was saying is true. I know many of those same people myself.

It doesn't take a rocket scientist to look at the evidence and see that many more people who don't believe in Jesus Christ live more like Jesus than the people who do say they believe in Jesus Christ.

So, American churches and religious leaders - what are we going to do about that?

More Dave Ramsey

Just a couple days ago I blogged about the most unfortunate position financial guru Dave Ramsey has taken towards creditors. Despite professing to be the prophet of Christian Biblical financial principles, Mr. Ramsey was coaching his audience on how to cheat and screw their creditors. Then he took aim at the creditors, calling them names and disparaging their character.

Now lest you think I over reacted, yesterday I was listening to Dave Ramsey's show again (hoping he'd answer the question I left). A caller asks him about settling an overdue debt, and wanted to know what documentation they should get from the creditor, etc. Mr. Ramsey started off well, saying that unless it's in writing, it isn't an agreement. That's sound advice for anyone.

But then he went on to insult the integrity of Citibank and Bank of America. He made jokes and laughed hysterically at the notion that these institutions might be considered trustworthy --- by someone who has defaulted on their obligations and is trying to get the banks to settle a debt for less than they owe. The caller had not mentioned Citibank or Bank of America. But Dave made his cynical remarks and just laughed and laughed over it. Apparently he thinks it's very funny to trash the leading financial institutions in our country ... when consumers are screwing them.

So I'm not one to take this lying down. Being the prophet that God made me to be, I have to confront sin when I see it. I tried to call Dave Ramsey immediately. The phone rang and rang and I never got through. In fact, I tried for about 30 minutes and never got through.

This guy is behaving like an arrogant cad, instead of a Christ-follower. He's advertising tickets to his seminar being hosted at the Potter's House church in Dallas. We can go to church - a house of prayer, and pay to hear him tell us how to get our financial houses in order. From what I'm hearing on his radio show, I'm guessing his standard advice includes screwing your creditors and then demonizing them when they try to hold you accountable for your obligations to them.

Why are Christian churches continuing to support this clown? Am I the only one who sees the heresy and the hypocrisy in this man's ministry? I cannot believe Mr. Ramsey's apparent ignorance about the facts of the debt collection business. But even if I get past that, do we really want Christ-followers to get their financial advice from such a hypocrite?

Dave Ramsey, you are dead wrong. It is time to repent of your sinful ways and dump the hostile bias against lending institutions. It is time to stop embracing the notion that borrowers are entitled to screw their creditors. And it is time to stop demonizing the hard-working people in the debt collection business who are simply trying to get borrowers to keep their promises. Really Dave, do you think Jesus would be dispensing the kind of advice you are?

Christmas Hypocrisy

When I was a younger man, I think I was caught up in the typical Christmas trappings of our culture. Shopping, presents, parties and even church activities seemed to put me "in the Christmas spirit." I loved Christmas, and bought into the belief that it's a "magical time of the year." Like others, I looked for the magic and spent quite a bit of time trying to create a bit of it myself!

During my life, as I've learned how to become a man, come to know the Lord and grown firm in my commitment to Christ, I've noticed some significant changes about Christmas. Ironically, they seem to have come from a bit of a double-edged sword.

On the one hand, the notion that a Savior was born to rescue me from my filth is huge. It's not just a song or a sentiment. In fact, I don't think any nativity scene could depict the reality that hits me now. On the other hand, I think I'm much more cynical about the way society treats Christmas. While I don't apologize for that cynicism, it's not a badge I wear gladly either. It weighs heavily on me today.

The thing about Christmas is that it seems to be epitomized by hypocrisy. There are people celebrating Christmas that don't believe Christ is the Messiah, the Savior. They don't believe that, "Unto you a Savior is born." In fact, they openly declare it as a lie, nonsense. And yet they will celebrate Christmas. I heard a Jewish talk radio show the other day going on about how wonderful the Christmas season is and how much the Jewish host enjoyed the Christmas parties he gets invited to. And I was perplexed. He said it didn't matter that he doesn't believe in Christmas. Incredible.

If I'm having a Christmas party, it is definitely not to entertain you. My purpose in having that party is to celebrate the birth of my Savior. That I invite you to that party is simply my request that you join me in celebrating that truth. (Why else would you come?) I'm troubled that Christmas gets watered down by materialism, by secularism and most of all by the Christians themselves. We allow the world to water down this glorious celebration and make it about at least a dozen other things.

Jesus had a lot to say about hypocrisy. He spoke boldly about the tendency of His followers being lulled into religious hypocrisy in Luke 12:1-5. So what are the signs of hypocrisy? I think there are several.

1. Knowing the truth but not obeying it.
2. Living a self-serving life.
3. Reducing faith to a set of rules or rituals.
4. Outward conformity without inner reality.

It seems like we are guilty of all four of these, and especially at Christmas time.

• It's that time of the year, when even the most casual Christians will allegedly "celebrate" the birth of the Savior. But what are they really celebrating?

• It seems that those of us who are celebrating often get sucked into the materialistic side of Christmas. Why does it even have a materialistic side?

• It seems that the most religious of us will go through the motions. We make Christmas a ritual to be celebrated. It's a motion we go through. I've actually heard people say they can't wait for it to be over!

• It seems that we run through the motions of Christmas, going to church on Christmas Eve, maybe even singing in the choir and buying gifts for an angel tree. But does Christ know us? Would He count each of us as His? Certainly not because we are "celebrating" Christmas!

So I'd like to re-write the Christmas songs to make sure they're all about Jesus. I'd like to re-make all the Christmas gifts to make sure they're all about Jesus. I'd like to re-cook all the Christmas food to make sure it's all about Jesus. But most of all, I'd like to turn down the noise, and make sure Christmas is really all about Jesus.

Won't you join me?