Posts
from the desk of Larry Keene
Faking ItHe was faking it, dear God. He acted so confident and self-assured. He appeared so on top of everything but he wasn’t really on top of anything at all and he knew it. In fact, most everyone else knew it too. It was painful watching his self-confident charade. The more unsure he felt within himself the more he seemed to bolster his outward appearance with boastful and prideful proclamations of certainty and assurance. The embarrassment that others around him felt for him was total but no one said a word to him. The King was indeed very naked and everyone acted as if he was beautifully clothed. Truth had taken a holiday. Everyone was faking it. Social lying begat more lying and once we were all a part of it it was difficult for any of us to stop and speak up for the truth.
O God, please keep us from being prisoners of our fears. Clothe us with a clear perception and respect for the truth about ourselves so that others won’t have to be so embarrassed by our duplicity. Give us the courage we need to resist the temptation to fake our living. Give us the tenderness and boldness we need to speak the truth gently and honestly to the people who feel unable to resist living a lie about who they really are. We know that covering up or faking it does not ever free us from our worst fears. Give us the assurance of knowing that the truth can set us free. Help us to trust and believe that being on top of some of the little things in life can eventually lead us to the feeling that we can be on top of the bigger things too. Help us to understand that telling the truth about our fears is the best weapon we have in chasing those fears away. It would be so nice for all the naked people around us to be wearing clothes again so the rest of us wouldn’t have to lie so much to spruce up their appearance.
