Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
—Psalm 51.2
From a lectionary reading for Lent 5: Psalm 51.1-12
Reflection for Wednesday, March 21 (Day 25 of Lent)
Creatures of dust and mud that we are—as we were reminded on Ash Wednesday, at the outset of this Lenten pilgrimage—it’s not that God needs for us to be all tidy in order to come into the presence of God. We are already there.
Yet we carry so much that can serve to insulate us from recognizing and being present to the God who is always present to us, and who still perceives our beloved shape beneath the layers of grime that cling to our souls. The distractions we build our lives around; the harm we cause others or ourselves; our inability to see ourselves as God sees us: how might we allow God to wash all this away, not so that God can see us more clearly, but so that we can see the God who makes a home within us?
This reflection is part of the series Teach Me Your Paths: A Pilgrimage into Lent.
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