‘Crocodile tears’ cropped up in conversation… Someone sheds ‘crocodile tears’ if they’re pretending to be sad or sympathetic. They’re superficial, insincere, hypocritical in their words and expressed emotions.
I asked Mr Google. The phrase has been used for centuries. Crocodiles were thought to shed tears whilst consuming their prey. Apparently fluid from a crocodile’s tear ducts cleans and lubricates its eyes, particularly when it’s been on dry land for a while. A crocodile can weep over its victims – but it’s nothing to do with emotion.
This morning I read John 11: Jesus’ friend Lazarus dies and Jesus brings him back to life… containing the well-known ‘Jesus wept’… crocodile tears?
Lazarus is sick; his sisters Mary and Martha ask Jesus to come quickly. Jesus comes slowly. By the time Jesus arrives, Lazarus has been dead for four days.
The family’s devastated, weeping: ‘Jesus was deeply moved in spirit and troubled.’ He sees the grief, the tomb containing his friend’s body. ‘Jesus wept.’ Later Lazarus is brought back to life and there’s joy – but at this point Jesus weeps. He’s genuine; these aren’t crocodile tears.
Yesterday at church Doug spoke about ‘Open Doors’, a charity that supports Christians who face violence, death threats and extreme persecution if their faith is discovered. We heard about secret Christians in North Korea, Somalia, Eritrea… imprisonment, torture, death… folks who share our faith but not our freedom.
Their website says: ‘Every day, millions of Christians risk their lives to follow Jesus. In more than 70 countries, Open Doors supports them…’
Expressing disapproval, saying fine words and a prayer, shedding crocodile tears is easy…
Yesterday I read about the Peruvian theologian and Dominican priest Gustavo Gutiérrez who spoke out against the social and economic injustice that he believed to be responsible for poverty in Latin America.
He said, ‘Have a heart for the poor? What are their names?’ Don’t just speak of the poor in general terms, don’t shed crocodile tears; if you really care, get to know them personally.
malcolmsmusings.org 
I hate this nascent fad of virtue signalling.
I am always very aware of it when there are crowds all gathering at the deaths of prominent people. It’s making the death all about them. “Oh look at me. Look how upset it makes me feel”. Look how completely self-centred you are.
Actually, this comment may get the hackles rising.
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I understand what you’re saying, Alan… but it’s fascinating how celebrities and soap-actors can almost become part of some people’s lives, so in some odd way there is grief,,, perhaps as ‘vicarious’ can refer to living it can also refer to dying?
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