If you have spent any amount of time online in the last year
or two, you have most likely heard about “Stolen Valor”. You may have read an article, seen a YouTube
video, or a Facebook post about a person impersonating a member of the armed
forces and walking around in public.
They are dressed up in authentic looking military uniforms. They have been spotted in shopping malls,
amusement parks, the street, and the airport.
They look and sound legit to the average person, but the one exposing
them is not fooled.
The majority of the time, the person that is calling them
out and recording them is a current member or retired member of the branch they
are pretending to be a part of. It
starts off with the person asking the imposter some general questions, “How
long have you been in?” “Where are you
stationed?” and other questions like that.
Then they start getting more specific, asking about their platoon, their
regiment, their ‘MOS’, (I won’t pretend to know all about this stuff because I
never had the honor to serve) and this is where the wannabe’s story starts to
unravel. The actual military person then
pounces and makes them look like a fool.
It is usually a breach in protocol that any active duty or reservist
would know and follow while in uniform.
It could be something like a contradictory patch or medallion that blows
their cover. Or it could be they prove
that they do not know what they are talking about outside of some well
researched and well rehearsed lines.
Most of these people are looking for recognition of some
kind. They want to get the admiration
and respect that our military members rightly deserve. They want the glory without the
sacrifice. Some of these people are
looking to gain special privileges by dressing this way. Perhaps they can get a discount on a cup of
coffee or meal, like a recent fake soldier did in an airport. Some are looking to score free merchandise,
food, or other items. This is where
their lie gets them in trouble. It is
actually a crime according to the ‘Stolen Valor Act of 2013’ to present
yourself as a medal recipient or military officer with the intent to obtain
free or discounted goods or services, or other monetary benefits.
Despite the fact that the federal government has passed a
law that makes this pitiful practice illegal, and the fact that just about
every person in America has a camera phone glued to their hand at all times,
these people continue to take this chance.
Maybe they got away with it for a long time prior to the prevalence of
cell phones and Twitter accounts. Or
maybe with the surge in popularity of military members thanks to high profile
events like the assassination of Osama Bin Laden, and movies like ‘Act of
Valor’, ‘Lone Survivor’, and the recent release of ‘American Sniper’ makes them
want to be apart of something they never could do on their own. Whatever the case may be, it is foolish and
risky.
Wannabe combat veteran is not the only type of impersonation
that goes on in America, and it is certainly not my main point of writing
this. I came across a person the other
day at a fast food restaurant that really got me thinking about this whole
thing. While the kid behind the counter
(I say kid, he was probably in his early 20s) was getting my order ready, I
noticed he was wearing an ‘I Am Second’ bracelet. If you don’t know what that is, it’s a black
rubber bracelet with white letters that say ‘I Am Second’. It is a product from the website of the same
name. They produce short films of
celebrities and average Joes giving their testimony about how Jesus rescued
them from their life of sin and that they are now living ‘second’ to
Jesus.
It really is a neat website, and I admire their
program. They have resources for small
groups and give you the information on how to start an “I am Second” small
group. Since I am a fan of the program,
I asked him if he was a part of a ‘Second’ small group. He got the most confused look on his face for
a couple of seconds before he realized what I was talking about. He said that he just got the bracelet for
Christmas and didn’t really know much about it.
He had just seen a lot of people wearing them and liked it. I was just about to dig a little deeper and
ask him if he knew what it meant to be second, but the restaurant had gone from
nobody at 2:30 in the afternoon, to line almost out the door. I got my food and left. As I drove away, I was upset with myself for
not talking to him about Jesus and what living second to him means, but I was
also a little confused about why someone would want to wear something that gave
the impression that they were a Christian if they really weren’t. You certainly don’t gain a lot of respect and
monetary benefits by wearing a rubber bracelet, or even a cross.
Then I thought a little more and realized that “Christian
memorabilia” is a very popular fashion accessory. There are celebrities and people that wear
crosses and other religious symbols when they are not practicing Christians. The biggest one that comes to my mind is Katy
Perry. I have seen her wear a cross on
several occasions in interviews and performances. Despite being the daughter of an evangelical
pastor, she has said that she is no longer a Christian, and does not believe in
Heaven or Hell. So why wear the symbol
that is almost exclusively Christian if you do not believe in it? If that cross represents the instrument that
God used to help save mankind from eternal punishment in Hell, and was where
Jesus was offered up as the once and for all sacrifice so we could go to
Heaven, why wear it if it means absolutely nothing to you? To be fair, I have also heard her say that
she prays before every show, but it is a prayer to no god in particular. So I am only assuming that the cross means
absolutely nothing to her, but if she doesn’t believe in Heaven or Hell, I
don’t think it represents the same to her as it does to most Christians.
Katy Perry is just one of many celebrities I have seen wear
Christian jewelry as a fashion accessory.
But I have seen countless people on the street wear something that
refers to Jesus or God that does not appear to let that which it represents
affect them. Please do not think I am
being judgmental in saying this, I am just saying that their life does not
appear to be producing ‘fruit’ like the Bible talks about.
In John chapter 15, Jesus is talking and He talks about how
he is the true vine. He says that he is
the vine and we are the branches. In
verses 4 and 5 he says, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is
severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me. Yes, I am the vine you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will
produce much fruit. For apart from me
you can do nothing.” In verse 8, he goes
on to say, “When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.”
In Matthew 7:20, Jesus says “Yes, just as you can identify a
tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.”
Seeing this contradiction is what I am most concerned
about. I am not concerned with the
people that choose to wear crosses and ‘Jesus fish’ as a fashion symbol and are
open and honest with the fact that they do not believe. (I am truly concerned for these people,
because I do not want any person to suffer eternal punishment due to a refusal
to believe. I am just not talking about
them in this post.) I am concerned about
the people that wear the uniform and can talk the game (much like the fake servicemen
above), but are not taking up their cross daily (Luke 14:27) and fighting the
good fight of faith (1 Tim. 6:12 & 2 Tim. 4:7).
These are like the Pharisees that Jesus rebuked in Matthew
23:27-28, “What sorrow awaits you teachers of religious law and you
Pharisees. Hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs-beautiful
on the outside but filled on the inside with dead people’s bones and all sorts
of impurity. Outwardly you look like
righteous people, but inwardly your hearts are filled with hypocrisy and
lawlessness.”
How horrible would it be to have Jesus call you out like
that? To have Jesus Christ, himself,
compare you to a tomb, a whitewashed tomb at that would be devastating. Especially if I had been trying to come
across to everyone around me as a good little Christian boy by the clothes and
jewelry I wore and the empty words I spoke.
This makes me think of the church at Laodicea that Jesus is talking to
in Revelation chapter 3. He says, “I
know all the things you do, that are neither hot nor cold. I wish that you were one or the other! But since you are like lukewarm water,
neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth!”
I don’t know about you, but I really do not want to be puked
out of Jesus’ mouth! The people that
flat out say they do not believe, but only like the bling of the diamond
studded cross around their neck, are cold.
They are honest and direct. There
is no trying to guess where they fall on this spectrum. The people that are just as clean and pure on
the inside as they are on the outside are also easy to figure out – they are
the hot ones that Jesus refers to in Revelation. It’s the others that are, probably, the
bigger population. These are the ones
that are trying to fool those around them, and even themselves. Despite their dress and their words, their
actions and lifestyle betray them. John’s
first letter says in chapter 1 verses 8-10, ‘If we claim we have no sin, we are
only fooling ourselves and not living in the truth. But if we confess our sins to him, he is
faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all
wickedness. If we claim we have not
sinned, we are calling God a liar and showing that his word has no place in our
hearts.’ This slap to God’s face leads
to him spitting us out onto the ground.
So let me ask you, where are you in all of this? Are you the one that is truly on fire for God
and wear your faith on your sleeve? Do
your words, actions, and thoughts honor God?
Are you the hot one that Jesus was talking about?
Are you the non-believer that just wants to accessorize your
wardrobe with an occasional cross?
Or are you the poser that likes to wear religious status
symbols and the Christian combat uniform, but does not produce any kind of
spiritual fruit in you life? Are you a
whitewashed tomb that looks the part on the outside, but is spiritually dead on
the inside? Are you in danger of being
spit out of Jesus’ mouth?
If we could strip away all of the religious status symbols and spiritual rhetoric, would you look any different from everyone else around you? I urge you to really take a look at your life and evaluate
where you are in all of this. Please do
not continue to fool yourself, or attempt to fool others into thinking you are
better off than you really are. You may
not like the eternal consequences. If
you are on the outside, and have never really given any of this serious
thought; maybe you are an unbeliever but have questions, please do not wait to
ask. Find someone that can give you the
information you need. I am more than
happy to help in any way, but if not me, please find someone soon. We are not guaranteed tomorrow. A recent acquaintance lost a loved one in an
instant. In an attempt to enjoy a common
hobby, this person lost their soul mate.
You really do not know how much time you have. Take this opportunity to get your questions
answered.
Have a great day, week, and New Year. Thank you for taking the time to read the
Thoughts of a Sleepless Man.
