The Right Thing for the Right Reasons
Lent is upon us Catholic-types, and with it comes the usual deluge of what people are giving up. See, Lent is supposed to be a time of sacrifice and reflection (mirroring Jesus' 40 days in the desert). And I would like to think we can all agree, regardless of race, creed, or color, that a little sacrifice and reflection is a good opportunity to become a better community. I initially wrote "better people", but that is much too open to interpretation, and some people might think that becoming better means getting a promotion or raise or some such thing.
The gospel on Ash Wednesday got me thinking about the social network in which we live. Here is an excerpt (Matthew 6:1-4)
(But) take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
The whole passage is chock loaded with things to think about, so I'm just going to stick with these 4 verses for now. How apt that is for the moment we live in. I've seen a lot of posting on Facebook about what people are giving up for Lent. Does that defeat the purpose? The priest on Wednesday stressed doing the right thing, for the right reasons. I get it. Sort of. But is it really so bad to do the right thing for the wrong reasons? I mean, no A+ for that, but maybe at least a B. If people give money to charity and then tell their friends to do it, and their friends do it because they feel guilty... Well, that hits 2 of the above topics. Telling people about your almsgiving, and doing something for the wrong reasons. But the net gain is positive for the charity. But maybe not for the giver's soul. I can see that. So if you don't believe in God, why WOULDN'T you tell people about your good deeds? You get the recognition, potentially inspire them to do the same, and you've done something to better your community. You may not become a deeper person, but if you're not aiming for Heaven, that probably doesn't matter as much.
And I think there is another benefit to telling people what you've done. The positive feedback helps make you want to do it again. Again, maybe not the right reason (and here, the discussion I've heard frequently in the past comes to mind - their are very few selfless acts.)
I AM aiming for Heaven. And yet I've written this reflection as a public blog. Because (Although my main goal was to take some time to think more deeply about my faith) I'm hoping that other people who are trying to evolve into more faithful creatures will relate and take heart from hearing that they are not alone. And maybe help me come to a better understanding of what this passage means in this time.
The gospel on Ash Wednesday got me thinking about the social network in which we live. Here is an excerpt (Matthew 6:1-4)
(But) take care not to perform righteous deeds in order that people may see them; otherwise, you will have no recompense from your heavenly Father. When you give alms, do not blow a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets to win the praise of others. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right is doing, so that your almsgiving may be secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you.
The whole passage is chock loaded with things to think about, so I'm just going to stick with these 4 verses for now. How apt that is for the moment we live in. I've seen a lot of posting on Facebook about what people are giving up for Lent. Does that defeat the purpose? The priest on Wednesday stressed doing the right thing, for the right reasons. I get it. Sort of. But is it really so bad to do the right thing for the wrong reasons? I mean, no A+ for that, but maybe at least a B. If people give money to charity and then tell their friends to do it, and their friends do it because they feel guilty... Well, that hits 2 of the above topics. Telling people about your almsgiving, and doing something for the wrong reasons. But the net gain is positive for the charity. But maybe not for the giver's soul. I can see that. So if you don't believe in God, why WOULDN'T you tell people about your good deeds? You get the recognition, potentially inspire them to do the same, and you've done something to better your community. You may not become a deeper person, but if you're not aiming for Heaven, that probably doesn't matter as much.
And I think there is another benefit to telling people what you've done. The positive feedback helps make you want to do it again. Again, maybe not the right reason (and here, the discussion I've heard frequently in the past comes to mind - their are very few selfless acts.)
I AM aiming for Heaven. And yet I've written this reflection as a public blog. Because (Although my main goal was to take some time to think more deeply about my faith) I'm hoping that other people who are trying to evolve into more faithful creatures will relate and take heart from hearing that they are not alone. And maybe help me come to a better understanding of what this passage means in this time.
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