A Brief Discussion of Deception

Since 2009, I have been contemplating practical theology, gradually developing its direction and content. Its blueprint can be seen in the manuscript of the ten-year plan submitted to the seminary’s board of directors in 2009. By God’s gracious guidance, I seemed to have been unintentionally, or intentionally, promoting practical theology and implementing its concepts. Recently, I had the opportunity to discuss practical theology in simple terms.

Early this year, I read in detail The Peaceable Kingdom^* by Stanley Hauerwas with eight students, rethinking God’s peaceable kingdom. I often advocate that to study a theologian’s thoughts, one should read his/her original works instead of just listening to second-hand interpretations. The worst-case scenario is that we only listen to interpretations that have been passed on from one to another time and again, resulting in a misunderstanding of the ideas. To truly understand an important theologian’s thoughts, one must carefully study the original works oneself, not relying entirely on others and second-hand materials. We must discern right from wrong, good from bad, and relevance according to the author’s context, and then try to imagine the possibility and viability of implementing and practicing these ideas in our own contexts.

This time, I led the students in a detailed study of Hauerwas’s original work, encouraging them to read seriously and think critically page-by-page. Amazingly, I strongly felt that the books I recently read have become the source of some important content for practical theology. Now, let me share with you some of the inspirations and insights from our discussions, which we must all remember and learn to practice.

Human Penchant for Self-Deception

Hauerwas frequently mentions human deceptions in The Peaceable Kingdom, which is a good reminder for us. He points out that humans have a penchant for self-deception, thinking that we are the masters of our existence and treating these illusions as reality. Nowhere do we deceive ourselves and others more readily than in matters of love and intimacy. We struggle to define who we are or what we want. We manipulate others to bestow esteem on us, “using” our love and those whom we love (142).

Some people seem very honest, admitting their own selfishness or cynicism, claiming to “possess no virtue other than an unqualified pursuit of their own interests, they try to create an island of truthfulness in a sea of mendacity.” In reality, they are also self-deceiving. “Distrusting all, they must finally learn to distrust even the honor and integrity of their distrust, and thus they are left literally worthless” (142-143).

Illusions, Deceptions, and Violence

Hauerwas also points out that the more successful we are at our deceptions, the more we strive to protect ourselves from any possible challenge. We expand our circle of friends while leaving out those who challenge our illusions. As a result, our “circle of friends” becomes a conspiracy of intimacy to protect each of our illusions (143). Our greatest illusion and deception is believing we are peace-loving when, in fact, we love violence. “We are peaceable so long as no one disturbs our illusions. We are nonviolent so long as no one challenges our turf. So, violence becomes needlessly woven into our lives” (144). Therefore, violence derives from our self-deceptive stories. We think we are in control of everything, viewing ourselves as our own creators, believing we can bestow meaning in our lives and trying to live our own lives (94).

Hauerwas’s words remind me of instances of deception in society. A number of people merely repeat falsehoods and create lies when discussing important issues. Some KOLs (key opinion leaders) disseminate or repost false or misleading information through social media, spreading conspiracy theories and partisan ideologies to gain more attention. In interpersonal communication, we must meticulously plan how to present ourselves, striving to hide mistakes and cover up character flaws.

The Story of a Self-Deceiving Couple

This brings to my mind a self-deceiving couple who not only deceived themselves but also the Holy Spirit and God. Acts 5:1-11 recounts the story of this couple: A man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, sold a piece of property. He kept back part of the money for himself and put the rest at the apostles’ feet. Peter asked Ananias why he lied to the Holy Spirit and kept for himself some of the money he received for the land. He also pointed out that Ananias was not lying to people but to God. When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. Later, his wife also came in, unaware of what had happened. Peter asked her about the price of the land, and she confirmed it was the full amount. So Peter rebuked them for testing the Spirit of the Lord together, and she fell down at his feet and died.

Acting as a prophet, Peter condemned the sin of deception. He rebuked Ananias and Sapphira for lying to the Holy Spirit, saying that keeping part of the money they received for the land was lying to God. They fell dead at Peter’s feet after being confronted.

Peter’s confrontation with Ananias and Sapphira not only highlighted their sin and deception but also showcased our sins and deceptions. Sin is not just an error or the doing of certain prohibited actions, but it is an intentional attempt to overreach our power. Sin is “manifested in our pride and sensuality, but its fundamental form is self-deception” (46). We are unwilling to give up what we possess and do not like others having what we own, so we try to find excuses to deceive others.

For modern people, Peter’s confrontation is seen as “insensible.” Being “sensible,” one should try to reduce conflicts. “Sensible” pastoral care means soothing and helping the “Ananiases” and “Sapphiras” in churches, reducing their anxiety. This type of pastoral care views this couple as having their own problems, like everyone else, from the perspective of contemporary psychology. The pastor should soothe and accept them, allowing them more space and making them feel at peace. However, this approach of making people “feel at peace” only encourages a kind of self-deceptive lie. Peter, on the other hand, exposed the lie, holding up a mirror of truth before Ananias and Sapphira, showing them their true nature of being deceitful, because life must be honest and genuine—to God, to people, and to oneself.

The Church: A Community of Peace and Truth

As mentioned above, Peter’s approach calls for honesty and genuineness before God: no self-deception, no deceiving others, and no lying to God. This implies that the church should be a community of peace and truth in this deceitful world. In this community, people should be honest and genuine, speaking the truth to each other and to God. Honest people stop lying to themselves, and truth makes people reflect and examine. Truth also makes honest people pray, asking God to create a clean heart in them and renew a steadfast spirit within them.

This community of peace and truth is shaped by God, preventing us from self-deception. Its existence is defined by truth, and truth is truth. Truth is the power of unceasing love, as Paul said, “it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth” (1 Cor 13:6). Love is living in God’s righteousness.

Hence, the community faces the necessary and unchangeable tragedies of life together while remaining faithful and solely devoted to God. This implies that we must learn to wait. We wait because we have hope “in the God whom we believe has already determined the end of history in the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ” (145).

Moreover, our hope lies in the presence of other believers, through whom “God makes present the kingdom in which we are invited to find our lives. Only in this way are we able to acquire a self, a story, that is based on trust rather than fear, peace and not violence” (144). We refuse to use violence to resolve conflicts. We do this without a second thought, as it has become the routine of our lives; thus, we gain the strength to “have character..

When we live our lives honestly, we are “at peace with ourselves.” This does not mean our lives will be free of trouble or self-conflict, knowing that we are still troubled sinners in need of redemption—in fact, this may be the best description of the redeemed. “To be ‘at peace with ourselves’ means that we have the confidence, gained through participation in the adventure we call God’s kingdom, to trust ourselves and others” (49).

We make up our minds to live peaceably. As a foretaste of God’s kingdom, we (the church) resist conspirators and liars, courageously facing the harm and danger brought by this resistance. The peace we witness is God’s truth. However, this peace is demanding. If it is “an unsettling peace, it is also a caring peace” (145). If we need to speak the truth about the world, hence causing challenges and chaos, we must also care for the injured that result from such challenges.

We need to bravely face the consequences and take responsibility. Such courage comes from faith: we trust God and open our lives to Him. We need to confront our actions with trust and courage, learning to dispel illusions and avoid deception. Such faith and courage are the sources of our character, freeing us from the self-centred and self-deceitful lies that cause decline. In this way, we learn to live at peace with ourselves and with others.

Hauerwas says that the peaceable kingdom is not an ideal, not perfect harmony, nor an order free from conflict. The peaceable kingdom is a present reality (142), the basis of joy and gratitude. Our joy is the premise of all virtues and a discovery that we are not liars and violent people in essence; we truly desire to know the truth and live at peace with ourselves, our neighbors, and God. We realize that transforming this violent world into God’s peace is not our task; for in fact, this task has been accomplished through Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection. Our joy is simply to be willing to live in the assurance of God’s redemption. Thus, joy comes to us as a gift that provides us with the confidence to live out God’s peace as a present reality (147).

I thank God for the opportunity to read Hauerwas’s The Peaceable Kingdom with those eight students, gaining a deeper understanding of the form of the peaceable kingdom and insights on “having character.” May we not only understand this book but also live out its beautiful message. May God teach us to live honest and genuine lives. Even though we still have to face various forms of violence and tragedies in our lives, we can live joyfully. More importantly, when we eliminate deception and abandon violence, we will find joy.

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^* Stanley Hauerwas, The Peaceable Kingdom: A Primer in Christian Ethic (Indiana: University of Notre Dame, 1983).

Jul 2024