I have a habit that I suspect is fairly common. Let’s say I unexpectedly see someone I’m happy to meet – say, an old friend, or someone I hope to impress. Then, after the encounter is over, as I’m looking at myself in a mirror, I realize that I have some imperfection: my hair is uncombed, my shirt is half-untucked, I have some spinach in my teeth, etc. I then dutifully comb my hair, tuck in my shirt, and/or clean my teeth, look at myself in the mirror again, and think, “There! That’s how I appeared when I met that person!”
Who am I trying to fool?! It’s obvious that time doesn’t work that way, and no amount of fiddling with my appearance now will alter how I looked in the past.
Although it’s not exactly the same situation, I was reminded of this foible when I reflected on today’s readings. The selection from the Gospel of Matthew is from Christ’s denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees. In it, he makes clear that outside appearances don’t change fundamental truths: “You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and every kind of filth. Even so, on the outside you appear righteous, but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.”
In the same way that my tucking in my shirt and shaving don’t retroactively change the fundamental truth that I was an unshaved slob that time I met the mayor, no amount of outward virtuous display can hide from God the rotten cores of hypocrites. This inability to hide from God is revealed consistently throughout the Bible, but we need look no further than today’s Psalm (where I take my translation from the New American Bible): “Where can I hide from your spirit? From your presence, where can I flee? . . . If I say, ‘Surely darkness shall hide me, and night shall be my light’ – Darkness is not dark for you, and night shines as the day.”
So, we shouldn’t change our outward appearance to hide our inner selves, right? Well, I’d argue that it’s not quite that simple, depending on what the final goal is in our hearts. There’s a psychological principle where attempting to appear as you want to be can help us to become that person. One encapsulation of this in pop culture is the idea of “Fake it ’til you make it.” If you act confident, you’ll become more confident. If you put on the façade of happiness, you’ll have much greater success at becoming happy. People are told to dress for the job they want to have. And so on.
Indeed, I’d argue that Christ Himself advocates this; see, for example, Matthew 6:16-18: “When you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites. They neglect their appearance, so that they may appear to others to be fasting . . . But when you fast, anoint your head and wash your face, so that you many not appear to others to be fasting, except to your Father who is hidden. And your Father who sees what is hidden will repay you.” In other words, it’s okay if your appearance and essence are disparate, so long as it’s for a good cause.
I’d argue that this essence of “faking it” is part of the faith as well. Part of the reason we have a continual obligation to attend Mass – regardless of our desire – is that the weekly Sunday visits help to build and maintain a discipline within us, through which the Spirit can work with us even when we’re not 100% on board. It’s also why we believe so strongly in the unbreakable Sacrament of Marriage; the grace we get through that life-bond can help sustain our ongoing decision to love even when our cores are not as strong as our marriages need or deserve.
However, today’s Gospel selection reminds us that can’t disguise our true selves when we have no intention of turning our hearts and minds over to the Lord. If we follow the advice of today’s First Letter to the Thessalonians and exhort, encourage, and insist “that you walk in a manner worthy of the God who calls you into his Kingdom and glory,” then we need to do everything we can to change our inner selves to reflect our outward exhortations.
Let us strive, unceasingly, to ensure our hearts and minds are dedicated to the Lord. If the only way to get to that point is to “fake it,” the Lord understands. Children are encouraged to “fake it” by their parents – making the sign of the cross, saying prayers, and acting appropriate toward others – until they internalize why they do those things. We similarly look upon our Father in heaven, upon Jesus our brother, and upon the ever-present Spirit to help guide us.
But we must never make the mistake – as the Pharisees did – in believing that outward appearances are the only goal. God knows our true selves, and no amount of whitewashing can by itself change our interiors. Our hearts and minds are what’s important to God; everything else is window dressing, as meaningless as picking spinach out of your teeth after you’ve had your photo taken.
