The illusion is the impression that something moves faster than light. 'distances' arent literally 'expanding' -- this metaphor of expansion describes a shift

The illusion is the impression that something moves faster than light. 'distances' arent literally 'expanding' -- this metaphor of expansion describes a shift in the matter distribution of the universe over time which seems like an expansion of an underlying substance 'space'. This is the illusion. The metric is just that matter distribution. And the fact of its changing we call 'expansion'. This metaphorical, substantival language, creates a lay impression that some physical object moves faster than light.