“Beware of practicing your piety before others in order to be seen by them…give alms…pray…fast…in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
So then why are we gathered here today praying, fasting and giving alms in the presence of others when it seems to be in total contradiction with Jesus’ message? This is the great paradox of Ash Wednesday and really all of the Lenten season.
Perhaps Jesus is warning his disciples, and that includes us, against using outward signs of piety without an inner change of heart and attitude. That somehow we have gotten accustomed to not just trying to “keep up with the Jones’” in the ways we deem success, but we have also started comparing our spiritual practices. For instance, sometimes I’ll be asked to lead the prayer before a meal or the start of a meeting because I’m the clergy person in the room. But when I say “There are other people capable of praying around this table” people get nervous…will their prayers be “good” or will they ramble…what will they say…everyone will be listening. Somehow, how we are seen by others becomes more important than being seen by God.
So I think we come together today to make visible our prayers, fasting and almsgiving because it’s a reminder that we’re not always perfect, that we’re not always pure in heart, and that we do not always love God, our neighbor or ourselves with our whole heart. Sometimes we trade the importance of our relationship with God to be seen by the person next to us.
And the good news of this outward action is that it also reminds us that God does see us…God is the one to whom all hearts are open, all desires known and no secrets are hid. When our outward signs reflect the inner change within, then we are working to bring about the Kingdom of God.