Today is CLEAN MONDAY ! in the Orthodox Church, and we are to scrub our homes, and ourselves both physically and spiritually, and make nice with everyone and make nice with God to start off Lent fresh and new. It feels like there's less GROVELLING over to the orthodox, although the words they say are VERY grovelly ...
I think as I got older, though, my rejection of the I KNEEL BECAUSE I'M WRETCHED AND IN NEED OF YOUR MERCY is a lot less pathetic sounding as it is delightful and poetic ... I can certainly see the turn off, though, having gone through "witnessing" classes during Evangelization workshops during my Pentecostal years. There's an entire module on receiving the answer, "I don't need to repent, I don't need to ask forgiveness, I don't sin, I'm a good person ..." Gewrl ...
The thing I love about being an Episcopalian is ... oh wait, Eddie Izzard does this flawlessly:
The Romans are always on about “Original Sin.” They go to great lengths in their Confessions every week: "Bless me, for I slept with my neighbor's wife."
"Heard it. I want an original sin."
"Oh, I'm terribly sorry."
“Next!”
"Bless me, for I have sinned. I did an original sin, I poked a badger with a spoon."
"I've never heard of that one before. Five Hail Marys and two Hello Dollys."
Anglicans don't have that.
"Vicar, I've done many bad things."
"Well, so have l!"
"What shall I do?"
"Drink five bloody marys and you won't remember."
Because the Anglican faith recognizes it had a lack of principles for a long time, you can't get really headstrong about it.
Know what I think? I think we do the best we can with what we've got, and I think we're SO blessed enough to have one another to be held accountable for when we REALLY go astray, no? I saw a quote from Hafiz the other day: "I wish I could sow you, when you are lonely or in darkness, the astonishing light of your own being." That's a heft prophecy to walk in to ("I can't be this person today, sweetie ! not THAT outfit !" ~AbFab)
Like when I go visiting in The South with my Yankee husband, and I have to remind him, before you walk out that hotel door, you best have your hair done and at LEAST mascara and a lil lipstick on 'cause you have AYE CIVIC DUTY ! to "hey" and "howdy" everyone in your wake because It's The Right Thing To Do.
I think THAT'S why I love all these annual traditions: It's The Right Thing To Do. Every year, a couple three times a year, someone has SOME festival that makes you sweep out yo house or The Goddess Flying By on her Swan won't bless you (i'm only marginally making that up). One practice has us behind the refrigerator with a FEATHUH brushing out FLOUR crumbs ... wuhl, that sounds like a shore until you're on your hands and knees behind the refrigerator WITH A FEATHER, it's absolutely HILARIOUS ! and I don't think God would want it any other way.
It's our ability to Lighten Up that keeps us in communion with a cheerful God. God is always just standing there waiting for us to quit having fits, look up, and run in to open and waiting arms ... "Why do you always have to be so silly," "Why do you always have to make everything so difficult," "Why can't you just get out of the way and let me bless you," I always hear God saying when I finally throw myself in those huge arms.
Why indeed.
Let's lighten the load. Let's really take stock on what's really important. Let's stop getting distracted by asshattery, let's stop looking at that and let's start looking at God, shall we? LOVE YOU !
Sealh.xoxo
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