This Monday a headline from CNN highlighted the hypocrisy of Hollywood elites and the famous: “Maskless Celebs at Super Bowl Spark Upset,” by Lisa France. Twitter was filled with outrage. Comments were made about Jennifer Lopez with Ben Affleck, Matt Damon, Charlize Theron, Jay-Z and LeBron James, and many others in the stands without masks.
Furthermore, France reported, “Those attending the event at SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles were given KN95 masks because Los Angeles county requires masks to prevent the spread of Covid-19 at ‘mega events.'” The hypocrisy of certain celebs was also a topic of discussion among some of my friends.
Lebron James, just this past December complained that certain players from his son’s basketball team were not properly wearing their masks while playing at a tournament. However, he was spotted not wearing a facial covering at the Super Bowl.
To add insult to injury, LA mayor Eric Garcetti was also spotted not wearing at mask at the Super Bowl:
Garcetti was the target of much criticism, just seven days prior for not wearing a mask while hanging out with Magic Johnson at the NFC Conference Championship game between the San Francisco 49ers and Los Angeles Rams. He claimed he took the photo while holding his breath, which many interpreted as a half-hearted apology from the man who put into effect a Covid mandate require even children to wear masks from Dec. 15, 2021 to Jan. 15, 2022. The mandate requires that masks be worn in all indoor public settings — regardless of COVID-19 vaccination status.
NOBODY LIKES HYPOCRISY!
The Oxford Dictionary defines hypocrisy as “the practice of claiming to have moral standards or beliefs to which one’s own behavior does not conform.” Miriam-Webster defines it as “the behavior of people who do things that they tell other people not to do.” Why is hypocrisy so detested? The reason is because virtual signaling communicates to others that you think you are better than they are, when in actuality we hold equal value.
Well, kinda. If the Bible is your point of departure, then yes. The Bible tells us we were all created equal (not the same, but we with equal worth). Society does not. We were, in biblical terms, created in the Imago Dei. Therefore, we all have the same intrinsic value. This biblical principle was borrowed by our country’s founders who crafted the Declaration of Independence which states, “We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator.”
Metaphorically, “hypocrisy,” comes from the Greek from hypokrinesthai, which means “to play a part, to pretend,” or to be more specific “to act on a stage.” Ironic isn’t it? At the Super Bowl, most of the celebrities who did not wear a mask are professional actors and actresses. In the ancient world actors/actresses, wore masks on stage while acting…irony keeps on increasing in relation to the etymology of the word “hypocrisy” and our present context.
The Bible and Hypocrisy
To clarify, my article is not an indictment on whether or not people should or should not wear masks to prevent the spread of Covid. My purpose is to simply highlight the hypocrisy of certain people who appear to claim they are superior than others because of their societal status. Integrity is not just who you are when nobody is watching, but also when everyone is indeed watching you.
My concern is to also demonstrate that hypocrisy should be avoided, not praised. In fact, the Bible warns us against hypocrisy. Here are a few verses to keep in mind:
“If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves” – Galatians 6:3
“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven” – Matthew 6:1
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness” – Matthew 23:27-28
“When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full” – Mathew 6:16
The warning is clear, hypocrisy is sin. Hypocrisy is not to be commended. Christians should avoid it at all costs.
Kevin DeYoung writes,
Hypocrisy is “the gap between public persona and private character. Hypocrisy is the failure to practice what you preach. Appearing outwardly righteous to others, while actually being full of uncleanness and self-indulgence—that’s the definition of hypocrisy.”
Safe Guards Against Hypocrisy
Let’s be honest, we all struggle with hypocrisy. We want others to think we are better than they are at times. We pretend we are fine on the outside, while holding on to hidden sins. But, we need to heed the words of the apostle Paul who said, “Love must be sincere.” The Greek word used by Paul literally means “without hypocrisy.”
The rendering of the Greek word in Latin is the word “sincere.” It comes from the Latin sine, “without,” and cerae, “wax.” Some believe the origin of the word is a reference to the work of sculptors in the ancient world. “According to one popular explanation, dishonest sculptors in Rome or Greece would cover flaws in their work with wax to deceive the viewer; therefore, a sculpture “without wax” would mean honesty in its perfection.” The work of a genuine artist is one that is without hidden flaws.
So, how do we safeguard ourselves from being hypocritical? Here are a few words of advice for all of us:
- Be honest with God and with yourself
- Don’t try to be better. Instead take comfort in the fact that God created you in his image.
- Be authentic. Don’t pretend you are better than others, because you and I are not.
- Seek to live a life of humility before God in prayer
- Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal areas in your life where hypocrisy may have taken root
- Find godly accountability. Remember Proverbs 27:6, “The kisses of an enemy may be profuse, but faithful are the wounds of a friend.”
- Pursue a life of purity – Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” (Matthew 5:8).
“The right heart is honest, and single, and true. . . . There is nothing about it of falsehood, hypocrisy, or part-acting. It is not double or divided” – J . C. Ryle
Written by Daniel Messina