Brad Pope

Christians vs Faux Christians

An LSU graduate (class of '69), Brad Pope has served as organist of St. Alban's Chapel since 1970. Retired from the business world, he continues to live right off campus in the LSU orbit. He feeds an assortment of driveway cats, reads daily newspapers, and is enjoying semi-retirement. 

"Let us lie in wait for the righteous man, because he is inconvenient to us and opposes our actions; he reproaches us for sins against the law; And accuses us of sins against our training,”

Wisdom 2:1a,12–24

Click here to read the appointed scripture for Friday in the Fourth Week of Lent.

Devotional

In our present day, this could be a succinct description of the contrast between true Christians and what some call “faux Christians.”

Christians who assiduously live up to the teachings of Jesus and his faithful followers are often bewildered by those who march under the banner of Christianity, yet in their daily lives profess decidedly un-Christian opinions and attitudes against our fellow human beings. They advocate clearly uncharitable, hateful, even murderous behavior and seem proud to do so and even mock and band together scornfully to seem justified in their deplorable words and actions. They form organizations whose very tenets ignore the teaching of Christ, not to mention so many Christ-like teachers and true followers of goodwill. Indeed, they seem actually to be doing the work of the Evil One. 

Holy Scripture admonishes us to reject hypocrisy in all its manifestations both in ourselves and in others. When we witness hypocrisy, it should prompt us to rail against it even when it might be unpopular or even dangerous for us to do. Over the centuries, so many have suffered and even died while fighting injustices promoted by false Christians. We all know some of these people, and should pray for their conversion to righteous beliefs and actions.