It must have been at least ten years ago I heard a pastor
share the root meaning of the word sincere.
The word is derived from the Latin sine = without, cera =
wax
The pastor shared the widespread understanding of the word’s
origin. Dishonest Roman and Greek sculptors would fill in cracks with wax in
attempt to deceive anyone who saw their work. They wanted their work to appear flawless.
If I remember correctly, our pastor went on to make the
connection how we are like those flawed pieces of art. He emphasized how we can
allow God to shine light in those vulnerable areas and let His radiance and grace shine through.
I liked this message. Still do.
But I’m beginning to wonder how much it holds up to the
light today.
Especially when it comes to our “online” selves.
No one wants a downer. And yet everyone feels skeptical when
every picture posted is plastered with smiles.
We don’t know what to
trust online anymore. It’s as though we’ve all become sculptors filling in
with wax. Or if we’re not being blatantly dishonest, we simply choose to avoid
the internet on particularly sad or emotional days.
I crave the sincere.
I crave glimpses of light
shining through the vulnerable cracks.
I don’t want to encounter you online and wonder if what I’m
really seeing is wax.
Have you witnessed
the tension I’m referring to when it comes to vulnerability and online
behavior?
“And I go back to Eden, in my
mind, to imagine what it is going to be like for you and me in heaven. I
suppose it will be a new and marvelous paradise, where love will exist in its
purest form, where the beauty of diversity will be understood for the first
time, where self-hatred will fade into an agreement with God about the splendor
of His creation, where physical beauty will no longer be used as a commodity,
where you and I will feel free in our sincere love for others, ourselves, and
God. And I suppose it will be in heaven that you and I actually understand each
other, all the drama of the lifeboat a distant memory, all the arguments we has
seeming so inconsequential, and the glory of God before us in all His majesty,
shining like sunlight through our souls.” ~
Donald Miller, Searching for God Knows What
*photo by stock.XCHNG
