Most likely you know the name of comedian, former Saturday Night Live Star, and lead in the various “Vacation” movies, Chevy Chase. Chase first became well-known to a national audience through his Saturday Night Live appearances. In particular, he became somewhat of a household name when he made fun of then President Gerald Ford.
You may be aware of Ford’s infamous slips, trips, errant golf shots, and head bumps while president. As an All-American football player at Michigan, Ford was perhaps the best athlete to inhabit the White House. Yet his various missteps were too often caught on camera.
For Chevy Chase to mimic such stumbling, involved quite a bit of physical comedy on his own. Several times Chase himself became injured and had to take pain-killers to deal with the injuries. After a time, like many others, Chevy Chase became addicted to these pain-killers and needed treatment. Where did he go for such treatment? To the Betty Ford Center in Rancho Mirage, California, of course! Sometimes life seems to have its own twisted sense of humor, doesn’t it?
You may have heard, as have I, many people say they are not part of church or organized religion because of all the hypocrites there. My response generally is along the lines of: “Yes, there are. Come join us.”
It seems to me that perhaps the greatest of hypocrisy is to think one is not a hypocrite. Don’t we all have some thoughts and/or behaviors that go against much of what we profess? Even those with the healthiest of life styles seem to have at least one flaw in eating or some activity. Where are you hypocritical? Space doesn’t allow me to list all my hypocrisies. You most likely are aware of more than a few.
Yes, I work hard to keep from smiling when someone proclaims “church people” or “those religious people” as hypocrites. It seems, as Jesus says, they are missing the log in their own eye. So busy criticizing or making fun of others they miss that very thing in themselves.
I have been writing and preaching about Lent. Lent is a time that says, “Hypocrites Welcome! Come join us!” We are those who are, at least in part, here because we are aware of our hypocrisy and would like to do something about it. Sometimes that something is simply unloading our guilt for doing or saying things that go against us. Sometimes doing something actually helps us rid ourselves of one part of our hypocrisy or, at least, begins us on a journey to do so.
For all hypocrites it is good news to know we are welcome in church. It is good news to think of Lent as an invitation to hypocrites to bring along their hypocrisy and come join the hypocritical throng. When you do, look around. You are in pretty good company. When you do, look around. You are in pretty good company. When you do, come forward at communion the Host is glad you accepted the invitation and even has a gift for you. Given and shed for all hypocrites!