More on the Inaugural "Lip Synch"

Eric Felton, writing in the February 5th Wall Street Journal (That Synching Feeling), laments the tendency of pursuing the perfect in public performances:

Not only are we told that prerecording is "standard operating procedure," but we're supposed to believe that it is actually a virtue: The performers, you see, care too much about their art to risk presenting something substandard. But what is art without risks?

Are we to be insulated from risk in order to ensure "perfection" even if it results in a loss of integrity? It appears that it is not only musicians who are guilty of this crime, all around us we find an artificial propping up of mediocrity and failure. "You ran your business into the ground? Here, take this bailout"; "No, Timmy, we can't play that game, we wouldn't want some of the other children to have hurt feelings"; "Everyone makes mistakes, I am sure that God understands."

Unfortunately, there is always a final judgment. You might temporarily prop up a failing business, but at what cost down the road? ($1.1 trillion?!? I won't live long enough to see that debt retired!) You might avoid some hurt feelings now, but at what price later? You might think that somehow your idol god will turn a blind eye to your sin, but the Supreme Sovereign of the universe will one day sit in judgment over you.

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. From his presence earth and sky fled away, and no place was found for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done. And the sea gave up the dead who were in it, Death and Hades gave up the dead who were in them, and they were judged, each one of them, according to what they had done. Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. This is the second death, the lake of fire. And if anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire. -Revelation 20:11-15 (ESV)

While we cannot "lip synch" our way past this judgment, there is one who has fully met the rigorous requirements of God's law on our behalf.

For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation. - Romans 5:6-11 (ESV)

Have we been trying to fake it through life, afraid of imminent failure? Trust in the reality of His sacrifice rather than depending upon your own phony efforts.