“His words were smoother than butter, and softer than olive oil.
But hatred filled his heart, and he was ready to attack with a sword. (Psalm 55:21 CEV)
On the margins of my old Bible, I have the name of an acquaintance written down next to the above verse. My husband and I have known this person for several decades. For the sake of privacy, I will refer to him as Conman.
Conman presents himself as wealthy, sophisticated, successful, knowledgeable, spendy, confident, and fun to be around. He is a smooth talker. He seems to know when and how to apply flattery and when to hold back. He readily laughs at all your jokes. He lies about his age, his past, his assets, his intentions, his relationships--and even though we know the truth, we don’t call him out on these falsehoods. They seem like harmless puffery. We overlook his unscrupulous business practices and the way he takes advantage of everyone else. We wonder why people fall for Conman’s duplicity. Can they not see the incongruencies?
A person who is parched from thirst will accept even the most brackish water. If their skin is dry and cracked, they will take any grease they can find. Conman has figured this out. He peddles his snake oil to everyone; those who are desperate are receptive to his lies. By associating with him, we lend him our credibility. This begs the question: why do we make space for Conman in our lives? We are aware that his slick words are as rancid as old bacon grease. We know that deceit fills his heart, and he would swindle us if given the chance. What void is he filling for us that we are willing to overlook his dishonesty?
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