After listening to the first episode I was hooked on a podcast “Scamanda” which told the true story of Amanda Riley, a Christian blogger and mother in California who fabricated a cancer diagnosis for several years and benefitted from the charity of strangers, her church and multiple organizations. Her case has since been made into a docuseries by ABC News Studios. Through faked hospital stays and forged medical documents she solicited over $100,000 in donations. Spoiler alert, she was eventually sentenced to 5 years in prison for fraud. While financial gain was a component, deeper psychological factors appear to have significantly influenced her actions. Her blog and social media presence elevated her status within her community, providing her with a sense of importance and validation. By manipulating her narrative, she maintained a position of influence and elicited attention and admiration from her community.
Her case serves as a cautionary tale about the profound impact of deceit and the importance of authenticity and integrity. And though it seemed sensational it’s not that unique. Among the stories of the early Christian community a similar account unfolds with a couple who want to build their reputation on false pretenses. In the book of Acts, chapter 4 we learn about Ananias and Sapphira. Admiring the respect and appreciation given to those who sold off assets to help the needy among the community, they pledge to do the same. But once the money of their sold property is in hand they can’t bear to part with it. They claim to donate the entire proceeds but secretly kept back a larger portion for themselves. Their deception was not in withholding part of the money, but in lying about it to gain esteem. This act of hypocrisy led to their sudden deaths, serving as a stark warning to the consequences of greed and dishonesty. Possibly the greater offense was a violation of trust: their actions undermined the integrity of their respective church communities.
Both Amanda and Ananias fell into a dangerous trap: wanting the rewards of righteousness without the cost of honesty. They exchanged the approval of God for the applause of people. And though their façades lasted for a while, the foundation was always crumbling. If we’re honest, all of us are tempted to polish the outside while ignoring the inside. We post filtered faith. We speak churchy language while silently holding back full surrender. We give, but with strings attached. We sing loudly but forgive slowly. The spirit of Ananias whispers still: “It’s okay to fake it… as long as you look faithful.” But there’s another spirit calling—the Holy Spirit. And it doesn’t shame us for being broken. He invites us to be honest.