Looks Can Be Deceiving

Read: Galatians 5: 1-6 and Luke 11:37-41

Despite the well-known proverb that tells us "not to judge a book by its cover." We live in a time that is obsessed with appearances. Social media and the rise of influencers that depict only the best and beautiful which has increased pressure that many people feel they have to focus on what is on the outside that others can see and therefore judge.

In Luke 11, Jesus reminds us that external appearances be deceiving, but they are meaningless if our attitudes, judgements and outlook are not aligned with God's will. Social media influencers want their followers to see them as successful or trendy regardless of their reality. Christians want nothing more than to look the part of the Christian disciple without any of the effort or life-transforming commitment that is really required.

Paul makes a similar point in Galatians 5, as he admonishes the Galatians to remember what counts is one's embrace of Christ and not external conformity of cultural expectations. Authentic Christian discipleship is rarely flashy and is often unrecognizable from the outside. It's about cultivating hearts open to loving and caring for our neighbors, and protecting the most vulnerable. It's about embracing faith over fashion and action over appearance when we feel pressure to preform something externally to meet the expectations of anyone other than God.

Daniel P. Horan, Professor of philosophy, religious studies and theology at St Mary's College, Notre Dame. Credit: Our Daily Bread