Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom.

-James 3:13

When you take a selfie, is the person you portray in that image the real you or only the person you want others to see? Likewise, when you look in the mirror, do you see a person who follows God’s word? James 1:22-24 tells us, “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.” We can talk about being Christians. We can proclaim from the rooftops our Christian beliefs. We can be open and honest about our faith, but if we do not follow the teachings of our faith and are doers of our faith, then we nothing.

Ephesians 4:29 says, “Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.” When Christians proclaim their beliefs yet do not follow those said beliefs, they are only speaking corrupt words. A friend and I were discussing yesterday how often the loudest of those condemning the LGBTQ+ community are a part of the LGBTQ+ community behind closed doors. For example, Lt. Governor and Republican nominee for governor of North Carolina Mark Robinson has been exposed for his unchristian behavior that goes against his professed beliefs. Identified by media outlets as a right-wing or far-right politician, Robinson has promoted various conspiracy theories, denied sexual allegations against various prominent figures, and has frequently made various inflammatory homophobic, transphobic, racist, anti-atheist, Islamophobic, and antisemitic statements, including engaging in Holocaust denial. However, CNN unearthed posts Robinson left on a porn site’s message boards in which he referred to himself as a “black NAZI,” said in 2012 he preferred Hitler to then-President Barack Obama, slammed Martin Luther King, Jr. as “worse than a maggot,” and said he enjoyed transgender pornography. He is only the latest of many hypocrites that make political statements yet are doing the opposite under an assumed name and behind closed doors.

Politicians like Robinson will say and do anything to get elected and gain political influence and power. Philippians 2:3-4 tells us, “Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself. Let each of you look out not only for his own interests, but also for the interests of others.” Hypocrisy is rampant in politics and always has been and has been present in all political leanings. If I were to name all the examples, the list would be endless. You could write an encyclopedia of hypocrisy and still not name them all.

Ephesians 5:1-2 declares, “Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” When we vote we should keep this in mind. Are the people we are voting for following the word of God or are they perverting God’s word for political ambitions? The twice impeached, adulterous, convicted felon that is the Republicans nominee for President claims to be a Christian in public while mocking the beliefs of Christian in private. I have told my mother who is one of his supporters that he stands against every moral she ever taught me growing up. 

Ephesians 5:6 warns us, “Let no one deceive you with empty words.” Keep that in mind when you vote. It’s not just in the United States that this is a problem. So, wherever you are in this world, remember to keep in mind what James tells us and be “doers of the word.” The idiom the saying is “if you’re going to talk the talk, you’ve got to walk the walk” may be cliche, but it has many versions such as “actions speak louder than words” and “practice what you preach.” Another early form of the expression was “walk it like you talk it.” In Christianity we are commanded to let our actions speak louder than our words.