Poser

The frogfish (yes it is there) above is mimicking a sponge. It’s a poser. It wants you to think it is something it is not. The reward for posing is safety, security.

Recently, we discovered that renowned cyclist and “role model” Lance Armstrong was a poser. He posed as a clean, good-guy, obstacle overcoming super hero. In fact, while he did raised money for cancer research, Lance was a bully and a lair. Lance was a poser. He claimed to be something he was not. He was rewarded for his posing.

However, put down the brick. While grievous in his posing, we cannot claim to be guiltless. People pose all the time as perfect, in control, right-minded, faultless, powerless, rich, poor, self-made, urbane, witty when, in fact, we are scared-to-be-found-out, opinionated, ageless, flawed, passive, in debt, self-centered, cynical. We get “rewarded” for our posing with the praise, fear, envy, or pity of others. We agree to not expose one another’s posing. We die in our self-imposed poser isolation.

The cure for this death is transparency. Being no more and no less than we really are. Being comfortable with our gifts and liabilities. Being true to our God-made and circumstance bound selves.

Where do you pose?  Oprah Winfrey may not care if you confess but God does. Life and the peace that passes understanding await. Pray for me as well.