Isn’t one of me enough?

That has been the question nagging me this week as I try to deal with two different online scammers pretending to be me.  

The first Fake Mitchell knows I’m a pastor and somehow got a Harvard-Epworth e-mail list and has been writing many of you to, saying, “I’d love your help with something. Whenever you can, please reply via email.” I suspect anyone who replies would be asked to purchase Amazon gift cards or the like.  Please don’t.

The second Fake Mitchell is on Facebook, where someone created a profile for a “Mitchell Hay.ll” with a photo from my real page.  Now he is asking people on my “friends” list to again become “friends”. Facebook won’t take the page down, despite the dozens of requests.

Just too many Fake Mitchells out there!  (Even the real one can be a bit much . . .)

In the gospel reading we’ll be discussing on Sunday (Mark 10:17-31), a wealthy man runs up to Jesus and kneels before him and asks “What must I do to inherit eternal life? (more accurately, ‘the life of the ages.’)  He is tired of being fake. He wants to know what constitutes a life that is authentic, real, meaningful, that has repercussions that ripple beyond his own self. 

Jesus challenges him to give up his wealth, the very thing that had given him security and meaning.  Jesus invites him to trade in his material security for a life of discipleship, a difficult pathway toward becoming real.

Mark notes that the man was shocked, and walked away grieving, “for he had many possessions.” Being real was going to be harder than he thought.

Having fake versions of yourself trying to rip off people you care for is  frustrating for everyone. It makes me wonder why scammers would want to pretend to be Real Mitchell anyway? Most days I can barely manage it myself. 

And I give thanks every day that I have an amazing partner, a supportive faith community, and the life-giving gospel of the rabbi from Nazareth to help me be real.

And while Real Mitchell may encourage you to be generous in your offering of yourself, your time, and your talents in ministry through Harvard-Epworth Church, I promise I won’t be asking you for Amazon gifts cards any time soon.