February 13, 2018 Psalm 51:1-17
“You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.” vs. 6
We’re coming up on the season of Lent, a penitential time for reflection on the state of our souls. As usual, we’ll be walking in the footsteps of Jesus and meditating on the significance of his suffering and death for our own life of faith. It’s a favorite time of the year for many! Because it’s hard to sell or glamorize suffering, the season is remarkably free of the cultural baggage that plagues so many of our holy days. We’ll have 40 days to freely consider our baptismal callings…and it’s going to be good. The psalmist suggests that we pay some attention to our inward beings, that part of ourselves that we typically keep carefully hidden from others–and sometimes even from ourselves. For so many, there is a deep divide between our private and public selves. We’ve learned to bottle up shame and guilt and we wouldn’t dream of allowing others to see into our secret hearts. As a result, we live behind facades in our interactions with even our intimate friends. We suspect we would be rejected if they could see our core. What a blessing it is when we can so trust in the cleansing power of forgiveness that we dare to bare our souls to our soulmates! The transparency is invigorating…especially when we discover that the Lord has created a new heart within us, and our spirit has been transformed.
Thought for the Day: Who knows the thoughts of my inward being?
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