Everyone lies to their neighbor; they flatter with their lips but harbor deception in their hearts. – Psalm 12:2

Today's Scripture Reading (June 19, 2022): Psalms 11 & 12

We are often raised to be two-faced people. We learn very early in life that there is wisdom in acting and speaking according to our audience. I have no illusions that the way people act in a church is how they act when they are away from the church. The reality is that acting differently in different situations is ingrained in us. It probably began when we first started going to school. Suddenly we were thrust into a situation where our behavior was judged by different standards at different places. And we kept up the façade at other locations as we matured.

Politicians lie to get votes. They act differently depending on where it is that they are speaking because they understand that different places raise different expectations, and various groups want different things from them. Maybe they intend to try to do everything they promise, but that often proves to be an impossible task.

I live in a culture where honest political dialogue seems to have become a thing of the past. But we don't want honest politicians, not really. And we are not about to trust an elected official to do the right thing, especially when the definition of what is right is what we think is right.

David attempts to confront this common reality of deception, and so he says, "everyone lies to their neighbor." Is that true? Does everyone lie to their neighbor? That probably depends on your definition of a lie. Do we allow our neighbors to see us as we really are? Probably not. The truth is that we don't let anyone see a real version of us. We want them to see us as we wish we were. And, for the most part, that is a fairly harmless untruth.

But it is also not the reality that David is trying to describe. He complains that everyone flatters with their lips while their hearts plot destruction. We don't mean what we say. We celebrate the successes of those around us, while secretly, we wish they had failed. We covet their accomplishments, even if we don't admit it.

A friend of mine has started a feud with some of her neighbors. And the feud began when she overheard her neighbors complaining about how nice her house was and how someone like her didn't really deserve it. I am sure that she wasn't supposed to hear those comments, but the truth is that she did. And she can't unhear the remarks. The flattery was thin, and her neighbor's covetous thoughts bled through the barely disguised veil.

It is not who we are supposed to be. God commands that we are to love each other as we love ourselves. It is not that the flattery is wrong, but rather that it is supposed to reflect the honest beliefs of our hearts. We need to be able to love each other with everything we are, and not just with our lips.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalms 13 & 14