The You That No One Sees

March 4, 2014

Dear St. Paul’s Family,

Today is Fat Tuesday, the final day of frivolity before the sobriety of Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent.  We have developed a wide range of events to mark the day around the world, from Mardi Gras in New Orleans, to Carnivale in Rio, and even our past celebrations of the Great Cherokee Pancake Day Race right here in good old Cherokee.

But I bet you’ve never heard of what they do in the little town of Basel, Switzerland.  They have an event called Fasnacht, a three-day festival filled with partying, celebrating, and general merriment.  But what makes Fasnacht unique is the masks: the streets teem with crowds wearing fancy, festive, and colorful masks, so that no one is quite sure who the person next to them really is.

That seems to me to be an appropriate way to mark the beginning of Lent, because all of us have become quite adept at wearing masks.  We conceal ourselves for public display, all in the search of thrills, pleasure, and even deep joy.

It’s no wonder that one of the largest sections of the Sermon on the Mount addresses the many ways we wear those masks.   And Jesus is very clear:  What matter most is not what you project to others on the outside, but what lies beneath your facade: 

• “Be careful that you don’t practice your religion in front of people to draw their attention. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven.”

• “Whenever you give to the poor, don’t blow your trumpet as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets so that they may get praise from people. I assure you, that’s the only reward they’ll get.”

• “When you pray, don’t be like hypocrites. They love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners so that people will see them. I assure you, that’s the only reward they’ll get.”

• “And when you fast, don’t put on a sad face like the hypocrites. They distort their faces so people will know they are fasting. I assure you that they have their reward.”

God is not interested in the images that we project each day for other people to see at work, at school, at church, at home, or in the community.  God is not impressed by the facades we assume to protect ourselves from pain, to advance ourselves through life, to deceive others for selfish gain, or to gain the fading riches with which this world tempts us.  God is always more interested in our genuine selves, the real you, the authentic you.

The you that no one else can see.

One day in college, I walked into my dorm apartment after class, and headed over to the telephone to check the voicemails on my answering machine.  There was only one message, and all it said was this:

“Magrey, I saw what you did last night.  Don’t think no one saw you.”

The message totally freaked me out.  At once I tried to figure out who called.  I didn’t have caller ID, so I was left with having to decipher the caller based on their voice.  I listened to the message, over and over again, finally resigned to not knowing the person’s identity.  Then my mind shifted to the more intriguing matter at hand:

What was it that I was doing last night?

I replayed the whole previous evening.  Every single action, every single place that I had been, everything word, every act.  I rewound and fast-forwarded the whole night in my head, trying to remember what it was that I did that this person thought was so bad.  Then, in a wave of sudden realization, the thought occurred to me:

I had done nothing wrong. 

That realization brought great relief.  As it turns out, the call came from my dearly beloved brother, who was prank calling me to teach me the same lesson that someone had taught him:  Whatever you do, feel, think, and say, deep down inside, in the private moments of your life, truly matters.  Though it be concealed from other people’s view, it is of utmost importance to God. 

It’s an important lesson, but a tough one to learn.  It’s a whole lot easier to do righteous acts than to be a righteous person.  It’s easier to project the right image than it is to think the right thoughts, act with the right motivations, and have the right kind of integrity and sincerity God requires of us.  And when push comes to shove, aren’t we tempted to think that it’s good enough to live the right kind of life, and leave our private world to ourselves?

Sure it’s easier.  But it’s also costly.

Ultimately, it’s costly because we lose a golden opportunity to receive a great gift from God.  It is the gift of a clean conscience, grounded squarely in the will and purpose of God.  It is a gift that produces contentment and joy, and an experience of the richness of God’s kingdom fully realized in our lives.  It is a taste, a glimpse, of the very nature and character of God.  Indeed, it is a connection with the very heart of the God who loves us. 

No wonder Jesus called it a “blessed” life in the Sermon on the Mount.  Because that sounds like blessedness to me.  Not a convoluted notion of rewards for right behavior.  Not a fleeting thrill for mask-wearing partygoers.  Not just another trophy on our shelves, or an emotional high that will fade at the next valley.  No, this is a timeless, eternal treasure stored up in heaven.  To be blessed is to be content in knowing that we are exactly who God created us to be, and that we are able to live with a deeper, fuller purpose than anything this world offers to us.

Doesn’t that sound like a good enough motivation to peel off that mask and get your heart right with God? 

If it does, then welcome to this Lenten season. 

Grace and Peace,

Magrey  

The Rev. Magrey R. deVega

St. Paul's United Methodist Church

531 W. Main St.

Cherokee, IA  51012

Ph:  712-225-3955

Email:  mdevega@sp-umc.org

DAYLIGHT SAVINGS TIME THIS WEEKEND

As a reminder, please adjust your clocks one hour ahead this Saturday night, as we “Spring Forward” for Daylight Savings Time.