Lovers of Illusion

My family and I are home visiting family for the summer. We’ve been away from North America for a couple of years. Material circumstances are so much different here than in the developing world, but I’m struck by how similar people are throughout the world. That similarity is tied to our shared desire to find happiness and the things we believe will satisfy that desire. I find that all over the world people are lovers of illusion to the point of confidently defending delusion. 

Consider how many facades are part of the construction of our lives. We have clothes that make us look slimmer, shoes that make us seem taller, cars that make us seem wealthier, hair dyes that make us seem younger, charities that make us seem kinder, people who exercise not necessarily to be healthier and stronger, but to have the appearance of being stronger and healthier. Observing these methods of illusion makes it clear that we care very much about the way other people perceive us. Since what we do always flows from what we believe will make us happy, it logically follows that we believe approval from people will give us more happiness. What a cruel and fickle audience to hope to find happiness from. It seems like celebrities and political figures rise and fall daily in popular opinion. Those who claim not to care what people say or think betray themselves with their prompt responses to any source of criticism be it from a less or more significant source. 

We have many teenagers and early 20s adults in our program. It pains me to see them seek to fit in with culture’s definition of approvable or admirable people. There is one who loves us each exactly how we look, how we speak, how we are skilled, just as we are without one plea in fact. He is Jesus. He is our creator and our sustainer. His definition of us is a merciful, gentle one. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 “This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” ESV. Jesus once lamented like this over his city of Jerusalem – “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!” 

That is the key issue I perceive in people’s hearts no matter the cultural setting. We are unwilling to accept God’s definition because we love lies rather than truth. As I’ve said in previous posts, truth is defined by that which corresponds exactly with reality. Just observing some of the things I mentioned already shows how little we care about truth. Most North Americans struggle with large debts. They may live in a nice house and drive a new car, but they don’t actually own them. These illusions aren’t confined to our possessions, that’s simply one manifestation of our thinking. Consider the good old American notion that a person here can be whatever they want to be. That’s full of logical inconsistency. I can’t change my race, I can’t change my skill set, I can’t change my gender, I can’t change the timing of my life in history, and on and on the list would go. Yet humans wish to challenge each of the limits life presents them with. 

As Christians, how do we minister faithfully amidst such an attitude? What saves a person? 2 Thessalonians 2:10 “and with all wicked deception for those who are perishing, because they refused to love the truth and so be saved.” Lying to people who are lying to themselves about themselves will not help anyone. We must tell the truth. It’s not easy to speak to an alcoholic friend and tell them that if they continue what they’re doing, they will destroy themselves, but it’s the only way to help them. Making them feel like that behaviour is alright would actually be the opposite of love. It would be selfishness on your part because you don’t want to do what is hard. We have reached a crisis in social thinking where once again as much as ever, Christians need to tell people the truth. No, men and women are not essentially the same. No, it’s not alright to kill unborn children. Yes, there are consequences for the evil things we do. No, you can’t be whatever you want to be. Everyone seeks happiness, but it’s only found in truth. We know the truth and the truth has set us free. Preach the truth brethren always, and let us not allow our love to grow cold.