Catfishing

Catfishing

I want to cover a couple of concepts today that could involve “misconception” and also “deception”.   I have titled the first part of the blog as “catfishing”.  Well, before I get started today with my blog, I want to thank Donna Snow for the beautiful artwork she gave to me to use for today’s blog!  You are awesome Donna! As you view the artwork you will see more than one image creating a collage with fish and ultimately looking like a beautiful butterfly.  And yes it is bright, vivid and real! (a labor of love).

You might ask, what is catfishing?  The first thing that comes to my mind when mentioning catfishing is when I was a young girl we took fishing poles and baited them with bread dough while at my aunt’s house in Sarasota.  What a fish story (a REAL story).  We actually caught close to 100 catfish right from her water canal.  As a child this was so much fun, mixed with excitement! It was the only time I ever remember catching so many fish!

Today’s concept of Catfishing certainly doesn’t produce much joy because it involves technology while using deceptive activity involving a person, as they create a sock puppet (stealing someone’s identity) to create a social network for nefarious purposes.  The modern term originated from the 2010 American documentary Catfish.  Catfishing can also be part of a romance scam. I wouldn’t be writing about this today if I hadn’t experienced it first-hand.  Not as much fun as it was fishing at my aunt’s canal as a child for sure.

What is the one thing that we all look for in life even before the dream job and the perfect lifestyle, the stock market investment, or becoming the next CEO?  For me, it is love and acceptance; chances are it is for you too?  How do we determine what is real love in such a fake world?  Could it by applying wisdom (knowing what real love is by research, definition and by example)? Or by experiencing real love first-hand through personal experience? 

For those of us who haven’t really experienced genuine love first hand, it is more difficult for us to determine what it is, whether it is a misconception (faulty thinking) a deception (deceiving someone) or the (REAL THING)!  This is why it is so easy for scammers to steal, kill and destroy the people they are trying to scam.  Because many of us really don’t have a clue of what real love is, so we are drawn in or seduced by a misconception or deception.  Is this you? I would like to say it hasn’t been me, but I can’t say I haven’t been seduced, or at least been tempted with seduction and deception.

 

Let’s first take a look at love’s definition.  In the dictionary it really talks about the feelings produced by the action of love. You noticed I said the “action of love” (An intense feeling of deep affection, fondness, tenderness, warmth, intimacy and attachment.)  Who doesn’t want to hear the words “I Love You” or “my Love for you runs through my veins” or “your name is the first one I speak in the morning and the last one I think of at night before I sleep”?  Yes, words are very powerful.  They hold the power to edify and lift up another person, or they also hold the power to seduce, deceive and destroy. 

If the dictionary doesn’t produce a definitive description of love, where can I find it?  My personal source is the Bible.  In Galatians it talks about what love is, and I believe it is referring to the words as “verbs” instead of “nouns”.  Galatians 5:22 - But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. What is important is not so much the title of the word, but the action behind it.      I Corinthians 4: Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.  

When we read these words, they are not just nouns, but verbs in action.  If one wants to demonstrate love, they need to set these words in action by working them out in their character by both word and deed (action behind the words).  So to test someone’s actions, you can compare them to the description held in Galatians and also in Corinthians.

When I was being scammed by this person or persons who were catfishing on facebook, they were giving me ultimatums (no patients).  They were giving me time frames (self-seeking).  And they were most likely using a false identity. (Does not rejoice in truth) – basing their performance on lies. Well after being duped myself, I certainly don’t want to be connected again with catfishing, at least the term in reference to technology catfishing! 

However, I do want to be a fisher of men.  Matthew 4:19  “Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. 19And He said to them, "Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men." 20Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.…”

I want to be able to share God’s truth, so when the next time someone tries to scam me or you with false concepts, or words, you will be able to go to God’s word and tell the difference between the truth and a lie, a misconception or deception.  Until next time….

Stay in the word, Stay focused, Know that the God of truth loves you!  John 4:24