From the Inside Out

With the clock ticking louder and louder till the AP US History exam, we are doing overviews of whole stretches of time. We are racing through decades, and praying we reach the end of recorded time before May 11. Yesterday, we covered the roaring twenties, among other eras. Relating the Gilded Age of the 20's to the human condition, it struck me again how tangible life can be so different from the ungraspable spirit; how contradictory the inner and outer selves! In the Twenties, there was an aura of prosperity with wild spending and materialism, gaudy and decadent orgies of parties and consumerism. There were flappers with shimmering dresses, opulent mansions, glitter and gold of wealth and wanton spending. But underneath it all was debt, unsustainable debt. That debt, in conjunction with speculation and then inflation led to the stock market crash of '29, and the whole house of cards came tumbling down. It was a facade. Beneath the gild was dust.

So much of what we present as human beings is gild covering dust. Maybe it is just the end of a hard school year, the cumulation of disappointments, the fatigue of too much to do in a short time - all of which seems impossible... but I can relate to the gilded age of the '20s. Maybe enough neon, spending, and dancing, and swirling can mask that what lies beneath is unbearable.

God speaks with a more optimistic message. It is true that our outer shells often hide what the filth of our inner being really is. And God sees it all, and if He is disgusted, which surely He must be, He at least never turns away. In fact, He offers us a thorough cleansing, and the only one that works- from the inside out.

Jeremiah 33:8-11
I will cleanse them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive all their sins of rebellion against me. Then this city will bring me renown, joy, praise and honor before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.' "This is what the Lord says: 'You say about this place, "It is a desolate waste, without people or animals." Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted, inhabited by neither people nor animals, there will be heard once more the sounds of joy and gladness, the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord, saying,
"Give thanks to the Lord Almighty,
for the Lord is good;
his love endures forever."
For I will restore the fortunes of the land as they were before,' says the Lord.



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