I’m a hypocrite.
That was a surprisingly weighty word to write. In fact, I let 15 minutes slip by between typing out those first two sentences, simply reflecting on whether or not I wanted to write this post at all. Since you’re reading this, and thank you for that, I think you can guess what I decided.
My opening three words invite a question that I suppose I should answer: Why am I a hypocrite? Well, I’ll get there in a moment. First, I want to dive a bit deeper into the word.
The Greek root of the word means “play acting,” which is illuminative but doesn’t quite capture my intent here. For that, I think a few quotes will help.
He does not believe who does not live according to his belief.
- Thomas Fuller
How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me remove that splinter from your eye,’ while the wooden beam is in your eye? You hypocrite, remove the wooden beam from your eye first; then you will see clearly to remove the splinter from your brother’s eye.
- The Gospel of Matthew
Saying is one thing, doing another. We must consider the sermon and the preacher distinctly and apart.
- Michel de Montaigne
Yep, that gets to the heart of it.
A part of my job is to advocate for practices that will make our world more sustainable, encouraging others to lighten their footprints on our natural systems. I espouse the virtues of domestic composting, home gardens, purchasing only organic foods, wildflower lawns for our pollinators, homes lit entirely by LED bulbs, water-efficient fixtures, biking instead of driving when possible, and investment of personal assets in environmentally responsible portfolios. Meanwhile, yours truly is not able to claim any of those practices as his own.
Sure, I do other things that are commendable. I can undoubtedly say that I live a greener life today than I did one year ago. My point, though, isn’t to defend my hypocrisy. Rather, I simply wish to acknowledge it.
It is in the acknowledgment of our imperfections that we confront a simple choice. We can either take hope in our potential for betterment or despair in our shortcomings. I choose hope.
Friends, we need not wait for New Year’s Day to make a resolution, and so I will give you this promise. With a hopeful heart, I will strive to live more sustainably. I will recognize that sustainability is not easy, and so I will choose something hard to do each day. And when I fail, when I look in my mirror at night and see the face of someone who says one thing but does another, I will do so with as much grace as possible. I will trust that tomorrow is another day, another opportunity to be better.
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