The Opposite of What You'd Think

(Image: The Prodigal Son)

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and put a new and right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Jesus told the story, “The son said: I will get up and go to my father.” Luke 15:18

REFLECTION:
In just a week, it will be Ash Wednesday; the day those in liturgical traditions mark as the beginning of Lent, the 40 days before Easter. Ash Wednesday is a day of humility, in which we name in a more intentional and detailed way our failures and weaknesses.

At first glance, this may seem like an odd thing for a group of people to do together. Our entire world is built on accentuating your strengths; being better than others. And yet, when we come together in the Christian community, we are healthiest when we are grounded in a realistic awareness of our imperfections.

I say "realistic awareness" to point out that this balance is often hard to achieve. Many times, Christians have erred on the side of condemnation of others. Many people who are not in our churches on Sunday morning have the impression that Christianity is all "fire and brimstone preaching," in which people are convinced how worthless they are. This is a twisted version of Christianity, because it lacks the context of honest, realistic awareness of imperfections. That raw honesty about our own short-comings can, when grounded appropriately, be a foundation for lasting community because it deconstructs the egos we so often use to beat each other up.

The snippet from Psalm 51 above points to an interesting truth. At first glance, you might read just that verse and think it is another version of "being a Christian means being a GOOD person." We are people with CLEAN hearts and RIGHT spirits.

Except, that verse has to be read in context. Psalm 51 is what we will read in a week on Ash Wednesday, and it is often attributed to King David, purportedly written just after his twin sins of adultery and murder. It is David asking God to give him a divine heart transplant, because left to his own devices, he has made a complete mess of things.

This is exactly the opposite of what you would think; but humility is the greatest Christian virtue, and it isn't "achieved" but given through struggle. The second reading above reminds us of one of Jesus' parables that sends the same message; the only thing the Prodigal Son does "right" is decide to return to his Father with his tail tucked between his legs, and even this is born of desperation and hunger. Yet, it is the most faithful thing he does, and the thing the rest of us can seek to imitate.

So, ironically, the most faithful thing we can "DO" in our faith is reach out to God. Sometimes, this is born out of desperation, confusion, or pain. That's OK. If you find yourself reaching for God in any way, your faith is as great as the "holiest" saints...

So my prayer for all of us today is that we reach out...to God through prayer and silence...and to others, trusting that the gifts of God almost always come wrapped in people.

PRAYER:
God, give us the courage to reach out to you...when we feel strong, when we feel weak, and when we don't know the next step. Help us to trust that you will give us a heart that beats for You and Your world. Amen.