Deceived

I recently heard a story (on “The Moth” podcast) about a woman who received a disturbing phone call. The unknown voice on the line told her that her boyfriend was having affairs with two other women. Understandably, she was enraged. She got all of his stuff and proceeded to his house. The storyteller said that until that moment, she had never understood how murder happens. 

I have never been in that particular situation, although I have been in situations in which I found out how someone was very different from whom I thought they were. There is this sense of psychological loss of the person I thought I knew. From that point on, one’s perspective will never again be the same.

Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 11 about people who deceive others through a masquerade. He wrote that even Satan himself performs a masquerade as an “angel of light.” According to Paul, the result of such behavior will be that the deceiver shall get what is deserved.

I think our response should be first and foremost to examine our own lives for deceptive practices. I know there have been times in which I have been worn a deceptive spiritual mask. Second, as much as it does hurt, we need to be exceedingly careful about enforcing God’s judgment on someone who deceives us. Although we should not enable it to continue, it is God who should be the one to punish. Finally, being deceived is just a part of life. I think it does us little good to beat ourselves up, always thinking “I should have known better.” We have to accept our own fallibility and move on with life without the tethers of paranoia tying us down.

As far as the woman in the story, I propose you follow the link and listen to it. The story is by a woman named Teri Garr, it is named "The Wake Up Call." That podcast is really interesting.