Mistaken Identity

The image that we portray in public, with other people, should reflect who we really are in private.  And, the person who says that he or she is a believer in Christ should make sure that he or she is not putting on a front or taking part in activities not becoming of a Christian.  We have to guard against living a double life...we mustn't wear a mask to shield people from seeing who we really are.  The Bible describes a duplicitous man in Psalm 55 (ESV):
20 My companion stretched out his hand against his friends; he violated his covenant.
21 His speech was smooth as butter, yet war was in his heart; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.

In Proverbs 11 (ESV), we can find these words:
1 The LORD detests dishonest scales, but accurate weights find favor with him.
2 When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom.
3 The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

The new hire in a high position in an Iowa school district was like a magnet, a person who apparently lit up the room.  About him, Washington Examiner columnist Byron York stated that he had an "engaging personality and flamboyant dress," quoting from a CNN article that referred to his attire: “a maroon three-piece suit, candy cane striped bow tie and matching Nike Air Force 1 sneakers...”  This man, according to York, "simply bowled people over."  The current school board chair stated, “He sparked joy in our kids, and an excitement in our kids,” and, “This is an individual who brought a lot of enthusiasm and vibrancy to our community.”

But, it was all a ruse, and Des Moines school superintendent Ian Roberts was revealed to be someone quite different than his personal persona.  The floodgates started to open as it was discovered that Roberts had been involved in litigation in Pennsylvania, where he used to work, and that settlements were paid out.  And recently, according to York...

...Roberts, who came to the United States from Guyana sometime in the 1990s, was in the United States illegally and had, in fact, received a final order of deportation last year. The board learned that from Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who arrested Roberts and then issued this statement to the press: “Today, ICE Des Moines arrested Ian Andre Roberts, a criminal illegal alien from Guyana in possession of a loaded handgun, $3,000 in cash, and a fixed blade hunting knife. At the time of his arrest, Roberts was working as the Superintendent of Des Moines Public Schools despite being an illegal alien with a final order of removal and no work authorization.”

According to ICE, Roberts " first entered the U.S. in 1999 on a student visa and had a weapons possession charge against him from February 2020. He never became a permanent legal resident or a citizen. He also did not leave. Even when he had the weapons charge — that was apparently while he was running the Pennsylvania school system — his illegal status did not come to light."   The school board, for its part, rushed to find a new schools chief in 2023 and hired a search firm.  Roberts apparently produced documents claiming he was a citizen.  He also claimed to have a doctorate from Morgan State University, which was false.  York notes, "Iowa television station KCCI noted that when Roberts was hired in Des Moines, the school district 'announced that Roberts had earned a doctorate from Trident University, a private for-profit online institution.' KCCI was not able to confirm that.   Roberts' deportation order came down in 2024, prior to the current Administration.

But, the school board chair, a candidate for Congress and former aide to Michelle Obama, is unfazed it seems, saying, "Two things can be true...It is possible that you may not be a citizen, but you are still a good human being.”

Which "human being" are we talking about?  The sharply-dressed smooth talking, children-loving school superintendent, or the illegal immigrant who broke the law and lied about it?

This is certainly a picture of an individual who is living a double life.  Now, it's one thing to have a past.  It's another to lie about it and/or to allow it to affect our present.  We can't erase our past through dishonesty, through a lack of integrity.  But, there is someone who can redeem us from our past - that is our Savior, who can take someone who is declared "not good" - that means all of us; all of us need a Savior - and transform that person into a new creation.  He can forgive our past and give us a bright future in eternity with Him.

We have to be careful that we are not living a "double life," that we are not being honest about who we really are.  If we are attempting to cover up sin and shame, carrying it around and denying its power, we are rejecting the will of God.  What Jesus wants to do is not only expose our past, but provide the effective means to deal with it.  If we have a sin area, rather than try to deal with it by letting it go unchecked or attempting to cover it up, we can come to Jesus and find the healing and forgiveness that we need so we live authentic lives.  We don't have to run, we don't have to lie - we can confront our past indiscretions head-on and declare and walk in the new creation that Jesus has promised. Integrity and authenticity are noble, Biblical causes that we should pursue.