This is about a syndrome that is probably pretty much unique to Christians. It's the worst in the happy-clappy churches, where every week people have to get up front and perform joyously. "Perform" is a synonym for "act." It's an act. Too much of the Christian life is an act.

Yeah, we hear plenty of that. Blah blah. No real need to go over it again. What's typical is how often Christians play-act for other people. What is remarkable is how many MORE Christians play-act for God.

So this is an encouragement to tell God the truth, even when the truth is that you want to say nasty things to God. I'm not claiming that saying nasty things to God is OK. I'm pointing out that if you WANT to chew God out, He's pretty much aware of that, and it's kind of stupid to try and conceal that from him. If you just go ahead, maybe he will at least appreciate the honesty.

Go read Lamentations. Jeremiah says God broke his teeth, shot him full of arrows, and left him for dead. That was his take on the situation. I don't think God is so sensitive and fragile that Jeremiah hurt his feelings with that. I think it laid the groundwork for a situation where God could show his true self to Jeremiah.

If God had chosen to blast Jeremiah with lightning for saying things like that, I'm sure he would have just as well chosen to blast Jeremiah for THINKING things like that. Not a lot of point in giving God lip-service. Most all-powerful omniscient deities can see through the facade, generally speaking.

So go ahead. Be truthful to God. He can take it.