A WORD FOR TODAY, July 15, 2025
Peggy Hoppes
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Blessings. Peg
A WORD FOR TODAY, July 15, 2025
“For there are also many unruly men, vain talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, whose mouths must be stopped: men who overthrow whole houses, teaching things which they ought not, for dishonest gain’s sake. One of them, a prophet of their own, said, ‘Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, and idle gluttons.’ This testimony is true. For this cause, reprove them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith, not paying attention to Jewish fables and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure; but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. They profess that they know God, but by their deeds they deny him, being abominable, disobedient, and unfit for any good work.” Titus 1:10-16
Anne Robinson was the host of a BBC game show called “The Weakest Link” from 2000 to 2012. The show was a cross between Jeopardy! and Survivor. The contestants answered difficult questions to earn cash, working together as a team to build as large a prize as they could, but only one team member went home with the cash. After each round, the contestants voted for the person they consider the weakest link who was then kicked off the show. The people are interviewed throughout the show, and the answers are often mean-spirited and offer blame and accusation against the other members of the team. It was cutthroat, but it was popular both in the UK and in the United States.
Ann was both praised and criticized for the way she hosted the show. Between rounds, Ann addressed the contestants and asked questions about their performance. She was particularly hard on the contestants who failed to answer questions that reflected aspects of their lives. An actress who could not answer a question about the Oscars was targeted. A math teacher who missed a question about multiplication was put in the spotlight. Ann used a variety of synonyms for the failures of the team such as pathetic, pitiful, wretched, or miserable. She asked questions like, “Is there a village missing an idiot?” It seemed like she considered the most important part of the job was to run down the contestants and make them feel worthless. She was called the “Queen of Mean” and many other names. She seemed to be a very cruel person.
It has been said that she is actually a very nice person, that she didn’t have that hard-edged look off camera and spoke with a soft voice. She was once a consumer advocate, a job that meant she had to be strong to fight, but soft to gain the confidence of her clients. When she was interviewed, she was often relaxed, pleasant and kind. The image she portrayed on the show was simply an image, created to make the show exciting to watch. She has said that she wasn’t meant to be a mean host. She was supposed to look like she knew all the answers, then she was to ease the contestants’ disappointment when they had to leave. Then she met the type of people who would compete in the show, who were themselves cutthroat.
In an interview, Ann said, “I remember one rehearsal, in a shabby room at the BBC where I asked a man why he was voting off a woman called Janet. He said: ‘Anyone who can’t name the Teletubbies shouldn’t be here.’ That put a light on in my head. I thought: ‘Great! I can be myself! I can look at the contestants and say what people on the sofa at home are thinking: why are you so fat? You’ve got an annoying laugh. Were you on medication when you bought that top?’” Ann has said that it was much more fun to be tough, rude and acerbic, rather than cheesy! While opinions differ about her offstage persona, she loves her family and has been an ambassador for eye health.
She isn’t much different that the rest of us. We often put on a different face for our own situations. If we have a job that requires us to be hard-edged, we put that on during working hours, then act much differently at home with our family and friends. Unfortunately, we put on masks that cover up our true feelings and actions. This use of masks can sometimes work the other way, however. We all know people that act sweet and kind but who are ruthless behind people’s backs. Some Christians even put on a mask, but their actions are far from being Christ-like. They go to church on Sunday mornings, but they lie, cheat, and steal when they go out into the world on Monday morning. They talk of love and peace, but they hate in their hearts and the cause dissension among people. This problem is not new; Paul dealt with this in his letters to the early churches.
Paul has harsh words in his letter to Titus, who was an overseer at the church in Crete. It was written for people who were not living according to the life of Christ in them. We read words like these and think about people in our lives who act that way. One thing I have learned, however, is that when we point our fingers at others, we need to look to our own lives. Are we sweet at church but cutthroat in the world? As Christians we know that though we are imperfect and we do make mistakes, we have been and will be forgiven. However, we also know that there is a standard by which we are called to live. It is by that standard the world sees us and sees Christ in us. If you are like the Cretans, you are rebellious and must turn from your wicked ways. Seek God, in prayer and study. Be transformed by His loving touch and incredible power. Be the child that God has created you to be: loving, obedient, and fit for every good work of God, without any masks, but true to God’s intent for your life.
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