Gospel
acclamation: The word of God is living and effective, able to discern
reflections and thoughts of the heart.
Social
media can be deceptive. It is not only used by powerful, monied people to
distort truth and history but unwittingly by people who want to present a
better picture of their lives.
We
usually post photos of the good things that happen to us. Pictures that elicit “Wow!”
and “Sanaol” comments. But sometimes, the photo does not paint the whole
picture.
There’s
that vacation photo in a magical land that was taken right after a big family
fight.
There’s
that happy couple smiling at each other lovingly who are on the verge of a
separation.
There’s
that group beaming at the camera whose two members are not on speaking terms.
There’s
that lovely, elegant lady posing with friends with no trace she can’t get
around without their assistance because of her illness.
In
a recent homily, Fr. Dave Concepcion said, “The bigger sin is not when you lie
to others but when you lie to yourself.” His message led me to this reflection
- many times, we deceive others because we want to deceive ourselves.
It
is human nature to want to show our best to other people. And sharing our joys
and our highs is inspiring. After all, who wants to see depressing things,
right?
But
I pray that after all those happy photos with not-so-happy backstories are
posted, we can look inwards, accept the reality of our lives, and surrender
them to God.
After
all, it is God’s nature to heal the heart that acknowledges the need for His
mercy. But He can only do that when we stop deceiving ourselves. Remember, God
sees the truth in our hearts.
“I
saw you.” – John 1:50
