“No Pretenders Allowed”

Psalm 26: 4: “I do not sit with deceitful men, nor will I go with pretenders.” It’s not that God is against The Pretenders, the English-American rock band from the ‘70s and ‘80s. But for those who “pretend to be righteous’ (Luke 20: 20), all the while “devouring widow’s houses” (Matthew 23: 14) and driven by “selfish ambition” (James 3: 16), the instructions from St. Paul are clear: “With such a one do not even eat!” (1 Corinthians 5: 11). Sit only with those who aren’t out to deceive.